Queries and Directions,
INTENDED TO ASSIST CORRESPONDENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TOPOGRAPHICAL COMMUNICATIONS.
It will be seen on reference to the proceedings of the Committee on the 8th of January, that a correspondent suggests the publishing of a list of "Desiderata" for the guidance of persons about to make local archæological investigations. In compliance with this suggestion, and with the view, also, of aiding gentlemen who may propose to furnish the next annual meeting of the Association with information of a local nature, it is hoped that the following series of questions, although it does not allude to every kind of information desirable, may, nevertheless, be found useful.
Some of these questions are taken from a list sent, I believe, by M. Guizot, when Minister of Public Instruction, to each of the 33,000 communes or parishes in France; but several which are found in the French list have been here omitted, and their place supplied by others which are more applicable to English monuments. w. bromet.
No. I.
1. Are there in the parish or township any rocks or stones which are objects either of tradition or of popular superstition—and what names do they severally bear?
2. Are they adherent to the soil, or placed there by the hand of man?
3. Of what nature (geologically considered) are they; and, if not similar to the stones in their immediate vicinity, from what locality and from what distance were they probably brought; and whether over a hilly or plane country?
4. What is their number—their average height, breadth, and thickness—and their distance from each other? If arranged circularly, elliptically, in parallel rows, or otherwise, a ground plan would be desirable.
5. Are any of them long stones vertically planted in the earth; are they isolated, or are they within, or near a circle of similar upright stones or other such monuments of a similar character?
6. Are any poised in equilibrio upon one another, as rocking-stones—Or are they in groups of two, three, or four, with another placed upon them horizontally so as to form a kind of altar—Or, if in greater numbers than three or four, are they so arranged as to form a long covered gallery, and to what point of the compass does such gallery open?
