Like it says on the box....

This is perhaps one of the odder artefacts held by the Powysland Museum in Welshpool. The skull of a horse. It was one of 24 found in the fabric of Gunley Hall near Marton during restoration work in the 1960's. So it is, as it says on the box: 'House fittings'.





































Doreen and I went today to take a look and it was brought out of store for us to photograph.

Questions questions.....But why were they interred? And when? There a few cases of such burials elsewhere in Wales - in Ireland too - and speculation that horses' skulls were put beneath the hearth to guard against evil spirits. Another theory I have heard is that skulls were there to improve the acoustics of a room.

Any suggestions?