The Primeval Antiquities of Denmark/Appendix
APPENDIX.
On the Examination of Barrows, and the Preservation of Antiquities.
In general, it is not to be desired that the ancient barrows belonging to the times of paganism, should be either opened, or removed. It is true they occur, in certain parts of the country, in such numbers as to offer serious impediments to agriculture; while they contain beside large masses of stone, which in many cases might be used with advantage. Still they deserve to be protected and preserved, in as great a number as possible. They are national memorials, which may be said to cover the ashes of our forefathers; and by this means constitute a national possession, which has been handed down for centuries, from race to race. Would we then unconcernedly destroy those venerable remains of ancient times, without any regard to our posterity? Would we disturb the peace of the dead, for the sake of some trifling gain?
Innumerable barrows have been destroyed by persons who believed that they should find great treasures in them. Experience however shews that objects of value are so rare, that scarcely one in a hundred contains an article of any worth. Such articles mostly lie under large stones, in sand-pits, or are otherwise concealed in the earth. For this purpose therefore, there is no inducement to open barrows. The only case which can render it desirable is, when the object is to gain information respecting the ancient history of our forefathers. But even investigations of this kind cannot always be regarded as desirable, they ought never to be undertaken from unseasonable or superficial curiosity; they should be carried on with care, and by persons of intelligence, who will know how to apply the objects discovered to the positive advantage of science. At the same time it is neither to be required, nor expected, that all or even the greater part of the barrows should, in future, be spared from destruction. On the other hand, it were much to be regretted, if the extension of agriculture should completely extirpate every trace of our ancient monuments. We cannot therefore refrain from recommending to patriotic individuals, to preserve at least those monuments, which are situated on heights, in woody districts, and in forests; in short, in spots where they scarcely offer any obstacle to the plough, or do not occupy land capable of being cultivated.
Under all circumstances, it is to be hoped that persons who are thus informed of the importance of these ancient memorials, will destroy no barrows, without paying attention to their structure, and the funereal objects which are deposited in them. A little care has often preserved important antiquities; and it can- not but afford gratification to every man, to assist in extending and improving our knowledge of the state of our country, and of our ancestors, in primeval times. With the view to promote and encourage this attention, we will endeavour to furnish a short guide to the barrows which it is desirable to examine, and to the manner in which their antiquities may be best preserved.
If a barrow must, of necessity, be removed, a complete description of its external form, its height, and circumference, should first be made. This description should explain whether it is surrounded, or enclosed, with large stones; whether chambers of stone are found in the middle of it; whether it has borne any peculiar name; whether any traditions are associated with it; and finally whether there are similar memorials in the same district, and what is their number. If the description were accompanied with drawings of the appearance of the barrow, it would naturally be an advantage. As it is of importance to know what is the internal condition of the barrow, and what may be. the relation between the tomb itself, and the objects deposited within it, the tomb must now be examined with all possible precaution. If the barrow is one of the usual conical kind, it will be best to cut through it from south-east to north-west, with a trench of about eight feet broad, which, in more complete investigations may again be intersected by a similar trench, from south-west to north-east. It will often be sufficient so to excavate the barrow from the top, as to form a large round cavity as far as the bottom of the mound; which is always on a level with the surrounding field; for it is in the middle of this base, that the most important tombs are usually situated. In this proceeding it is, however, advisable to form a trench from the cavity in the middle, to the south-east side of the barrow, since tombs are often found here, and it might otherwise be extremely difficult to bring up the earth from the central cavity, when such cavity had obtained a depth of several feet.
As soon as the trench is begun, and the first covering of grass and heath is removed, we must examine whether vessels of clay with burnt bones and ashes, are not to be met with under such stones. These vessels, from their great antiquity, are so extremely fragile, that it is only with the greatest care they can be brought from the barrow in an uninjured state. When the surrounding stones are carefully removed, the best and safest mode of extracting the urns, is by introducing a board beneath them, then placing them in the open air, and after a few hours the clay becomes firm again. If the urn is uninjured, it is best to leave the burnt bones within it; among them at the top of the vessel are usually found some trifling objects which, however, are always worth preserving. If other curiosities are found near, or around such vessels of clay, as for instance small stone cists with burnt bones, and ashes, and the like, the excavation should be continued; and it will soon appear whether the barrow contains chandlers of stone, or not. If the explorer meets with very large stones, which form the roof, or cover of a chamber of stone, he should follow the direction in which the stones are placed, in order to find the entrance to the chamber, which almost always faces the east, or south. It is by the entrance, in which corpses are not unfrequently deposited, that he must arrive at the chamber, which is always filled with loose earth, and a mixture of clay and pebbles. It is as the chamber is being carefully and thoroughly cleaned out, that the enquirer generally perceives how the corpses and antiquities have been deposited. Skeletons, and in particular sculls, must be preserved; and even the bones of those animals, which have been interred with the deceased may have a value for science. It must also be observed whether there is not a second stone chamber, in connection with the first. If, on the other hand, the barrow contains no stone chambers, the grave itself must always be sought at the base of the barrow, and this is usually surrounded by a stone cist, or covered with a heap of stones. In this case we must, on no account, remove the stones at once, because the objects in the grave might easily be injured by so doing. With the view to obtain space for the investigation, the best plan is to enlarge the cavity as much as possible, and to take off the cover of the tomb as soon as the earth which lies upon it has been wholly put aside.
It is generally considered of importance, in such excavations, that the cavities should not be made too narrow, in fact they ought to be very wide at the top, because it is always necessary to make them narrower in descending, with the view to prevent their falling in.
Finally, if it is a Cromlech, with one or more chambers of stone, the examination is rendered much more easy by clearing the chambers from the earth; in which operation one proceeds exactly the same as in excavating the chambers of stone, in the interior of the barrow. The earth surrounding the Cromlechs must also be examined, to ascertain if vessels of clay with burnt bones, and ashes, are to be discovered there. For all possible contingencies in excavating barrows, of course no exact rules can be laid down. But should there be discovered in a barrow, either chambers of stone, unusually large, or of wood, or any other remarkable objects, it will be advisable to discontinue the excavation, until the barrow can be examined by some intelligent person acquainted with the subject.
Barrows are the places where antiquities are most frequently discovered. But the digging of sandpits, the making of ditches, ploughing, and other labours of husbandry, are constantly bringing objects of antiquarian interest to light. By the removal of single stones, valuables have often been found at a moderate depth under the stones, which had been concealed there in ancient times. A few strokes of the spade where a large stone has formerly lain, may hence afford a rich prize. It has already been observed, that large stones should not be broken before they have been turned and examined, to ascertain whether they bear any inscription.
Next to the barrows, the peat bogs are the most important deposits of antiquities. The objects discovered in them have this advantage over those exhumed from the earth, that they are in a much better state of preservation. In bogs we may, for instance, expect to find stone-axes with the ancient handles of wood, while even bodies clothed, in their garments, have several times been met with in cutting through bogs. Hence it is doubly important to observe the greatest care in digging in the peat, as soon as anything remarkable is traced. The best mode is to dig cautiously round the spot, and to endeavour to extract all the objects it contains without injuring them. The mass of peat which surrounds them is not then to be removed immediately; for the earthy portions easily separate, when they have been somewhat dried in the air. At the same time, it is not expedient to dry all specimens in the sun, or in a strong heat, for articles which are not of stone, or of metal, are shrunk by this means. The relation of objects to each other deserves peculiar attention, and enquiries should be made whether more are not to be found in the neighbourhood. Whenever antiquities are traced, care should be taken to ascertain whether similar objects occur in the surrounding district; for it has been found that specimens of interest have been discovered scarcely a step from the spot, where similar articles had been found some years before.
Most antiquarian objects are covered with rust, or have otherwise lost their original appearance. Articles of gold alone are unchanged, because gold never rusts in the earth. Silver usually assumes a blackish tinge. Bronze and copper in peat bogs obtain a red or blackish tint; while in the earth they usually become green. Iron, of course, becomes very rusty indeed, except in the peat bogs. Lead becomes oxydized; amber acquires a resemblance to resin, by lying in the earth; glass becomes covered with a thick coating and looks like mother of pearl. Bones are calcined, and become brown in the bogs, where they are always best preserved. Nevertheless, antiquities should never be cleaned, for they are injured by this means, and so lose much of their value. Still more should we abstain from breaking them, which those who discover them unfortunately often do, to ascertain whether they are not of gold.
A very important rule is, that all antiquities, even those which appear the most trivial and the most common, ought to be preserved. Trifles often afford important information, when seen in connection with a large collection. That they are of common occurrence forms no objection; for historic results can be deduced only from the comparison of numerous cotemporary specimens. In many instances, antiquities have a value with reference to the spot in which they are found. The law of Denmark provides that all gold, silver, and other valuables, which are found in the earth, shall be forwarded to the royal collections, and that the full value of the metal shall be paid to the finder. This arrangement, of course, does not apply to objects of wood, stone, or clay; yet it is to be wished that they should be sent to the national collection, where alone, in fact, they can prove of utility.
In Denmark, antiquities, respecting which parties are disposed to furnish information as to the spot where they have been found, as well as communications respecting the examination of barrows and other antiquities, should be sent to the Museum of Northern Antiquities at Copenhagen[1]. Objects of gold and silver, as already stated, are duly paid for by the authorities of the establishment; and if objects of other materials have been carefully treated and are of any rarity, the finder usually receives a suitable recompense, even if such objects are of no pecuniary value. A collection of antiquities has also been established at Kiel.
Parties who do not themselves possess any knowledge of antiquities, would do well, if they discover any thing remarkable to apply to the clergyman, schoolmaster, or other intelligent person on the spot, who may be able to determine what maybe deserving of attention. In this respect it would be of great utility if all over the country, in every large parish, for instance, or at least, in every district, several intelligent men would form an association, for protecting the most remarkable antiquities from destruction, and for co-operating with the lower classes, in examining barrows, and preserving antiquities.
OXFORD:
PRINTED BY I. SHRIMPTON.
ERRATA.
Page 20, line 23, for "The bodies were occasionally deposited in vessels" read "Beside the bodies were occasionally deposited vessels"
21, line 19, after "had" insert "not"
54, line 4, for "Ireland" read "Iceland"
67, line 31, for "Amongst coins" &c., read "Of Roman coins from the third and fourth century we find few if any in Denmark"
78, line 13, for "Thisled" read "Thisted"
80, line 12, for "height" read "size"
104, line 31, for "birds" read "beads."
106, line 17, for "Holland" read "Halland"
117, line 4, for "Gumer" read "Gwrmr"
117, line 5, for "runu" read "kunu"
118, line 30, for "kins" read "hins"
127, line 29, for "vestiges and remains" read "few vestiges remaining"
135, line 6, dele "nameless" and for "tribe" read "tribes"
141, line 26, for "coins" read "course"
147, line 12, for "South" read "North"
- ↑ In this country such objects should be forwarded either to the British Museum, where at length a department is to be especially devoted to the subject of our national antiquities, or to the Society of Antiquaries of London, whose Museum already contains numerous remains of very considerable interest. From the proper officers of the Museum or of the Society, persons sending antiquities will be sure to receive accurate information as to their nature and value.
While upon this subject, the editor trusts it may be permitted to him as a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries who has always taken a deep interest in the promotion of its Museum, and whose good fortune it was to be indirectly instrumental to the first attempt made to display the collection of antiquities in the Society's possession, to urge upon the fellows generally the propriety of following the example recently set them by Dr. Lee, who has most liberally deposited the beautiful series of antiquities brought by him from Ithaca, in the Museum of the Society. Indeed to all persons, who may have the good fortune to possess any remains of antiquarian interest,—more especially such as illustrate the arts, manufactures, or social condition of this country at any period of its history,—he would respectfully suggest that such objects lose half their interest and value when scattered in the keeping of individuals, and are only really profitable to the antiquarian student, when viewed in connection with similar objects. He would therefore beg to point out the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries as the place where the same might be most advantageously deposited.—T.