Notice of a cinerary urn, containing a small-sized urn (in which were the bones of a child), discovered in Fife-shire : with notes of similar small and cup-like vessels, in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland / by John Alex. Smith.

Date:
[1871?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notice of a cinerary urn, containing a small-sized urn (in which were the bones of a child), discovered in Fife-shire : with notes of similar small and cup-like vessels, in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland / by John Alex. Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    II. NOTICE OF A CINEEAEY URN, CONTAINING A SMALL-SIZED URN (IN WHICH WERE THE BONES OF A CHILD), DISCOVERED IN FIFE- SHIRE; WITH NOTES OF SIMILAR SMALL AND CUP-LIKE VESSELS, IN THE MUSEUM OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND. By JOHN ALEX. SMITH, M.D., V.P., S.A. Scot. The smaU urn exhibited was discovered in the month of February 1866, and its exhibition now is due to the zeal of the keeper of our ^luseum, Mr Joseph Anderson, who, happening to observe a stranger closely examining the small urns in our museum, entered into conver- sation with him, and learned that he had in his possession two ums of a similar kind. At Mr Anderson's request, the urns were forwarded for examination, and are now exhibited to the Society. The first urn is of a flattened and rounded form; it measures 2|- inches in height, and 4| inches in its greatest diameter, rather below the middle of its height, from which it tapers upwards to its open mouth, which is 3 inches in diameter, and downwards to its small base, which measures 1^ inches across (see the annexed figure). The urn is formed of a yel- lowish clay, and is ornamented round the upper part with a series of straight horizontal and parallel lines, next a belt is left, which is divided by short vertical lines into (juadrilateral spaces, alternate halves of which are ornamented by oblique parallel Hues. The tapering lower part of the urn is also ornamented by a series of horizontal parallel lines, below which are vertical lines, dividing it into regidar spaces, covered with the herring-bone ornament. The base of the uni is plain or unornamented. The urn is pierced at its greatest diameter