A second crucible, neatly formed and quite whole, was found in the débris wheeled out from the lowest stratum of the refuse-heap. It is of the usual conical form, with a three-cornered mouth about 3 inches in circumference, and measures 1 inch in depth. Particles of a yellowish metal, like brass or bronze, are seen mixed with a kind of slag, near one of the corners. The outside has a glazed appearance, as if it had been subjected to great heat, and to the apex of the cone there is a small bit of cinder still adherent.
Portion of a third crucible, very similar to the last described, was also found at the crannog by a visitor, and publicly exhibited at a bazaar in Kilmarnock.[39] This crucible is interesting as furnishing undoubted evidence that it had been used for melting gold, there being several globules of this metal adhering to its sides, both inside and outside.
Report of Osseous Remains found at Buston.
(By Professor Cleland, M.D., F.R.S.)
The osteological specimens obtained from what appears to have been the kitchen-midden of the lake-dwelling at Buston consist in greater part of bones of the ox; while next in frequency are bones of the sheep and the pig. A calcaneum and astragali of the red-deer have been found, as also portions of large red-deer horns, and two portions of roe-deer skull with horns attached. In addition a radius and metacarpal of a goose were found.
The bones of the pig were both full-grown and young; the full-grown, with the teeth worn, being apparently most abundant. They have belonged to an animal of small size, similar probably to that whose remains are found in other Ayrshire deposits.
The remains of the ox and the sheep I account more interesting on account of variety among them.
Ox.—Examining six portions of ox skull, I find one with the horn-core represented by a mere nodule; two specimens each with a portion of horn-core 2·8 inches in greatest diameter, one with a horn-core 2·2 inches diameter at base, and two others with horn-cores 1·8 inches in greatest diameter at base, and one with a horn-core 11⁄2 inch diameter. All the horn-cores are fragmentary; but I judge that none of the last three could have exceeded 5 inches in length, while the first two must have been much longer. Only one of these specimens, that with the smallest horn, has the suture above the occipital bone open. The others must have been adult; and we may judge that we have not to deal with mere aboriginal Bos longifrons, but with varieties of ox. The variation seems not to have been confined to the horns. Among a number of first phalanges the majority were slender and small, but there was considerable variety; and one specimen, contrasting strongly with the others by its stoutness, might have been from a small modern specimen. All the hoof-bones which I collected, about half a dozen, were very small. Three metacarpals were picked up, all measuring about 7 inches long and 1 inch in breadth at the narrowest part of the shaft; and these are all adult specimens. Two adult metatarsals measure, the one 8 inches in length and the other only 7·3, while in breadth they both measure only ·9 of an inch. A complete adult radius measures only 9 inches in length. A lower end of a humerus is only 2·5 inches broad. Among six calcanea the largest measured 5·5 inches, and the shortest 4·3. In one specimen the orbit is 2·4 inches diameter, and in another 2·8 inches, which is decidedly large. On the whole, the evidence is to the effect that while the prevalent variety had small horns, and was generally diminutive and slender-limbed, there was mixed with it a variety with larger horns and stouter limbs, whether of greater height or not I cannot say.
Sheep.—Only one portion of horn-core was found with portion of the skull. The portion of horn-core is between 3 and 4 inches long, and at the base its largest diameter is 1·5 inch, its smallest 1 inch. At its inner margin starts at an angle of about 20° from the vertical plane; while I should say that in modern sheep that angle is always 45° at least. I apprehend that this is probably the so-called goat-horned sheep, scarcely now to be got in Shetland.
The following measurements of limb bones may be interesting, as indicating considerable variety in size as well as deviation from modern proportions, as indicated by comparison with the bones of the same sheep skeleton which I have used for comparison in previous communications.