137 



FURTHER NOTES ON THE PILE-DWELLING 

 SITE AT SKITT'S HILL, BRAINTREE, ESSEX. 



A REPORT ON THE EXCAVATION OF A PORTION 

 OF THE RELIC-BED, OCTOBER, 1900. 



{With Plates XXVI. and XXVII. and numerous Illustrations) 



By F. VV. READER. 



[Read November Zbth, 1904.] 



IN the report of Mr. Kenworthy's discoveries at Skitt's 

 Hill 1 it was mentioned that there was a portion of the relic- 

 bed uncovered, which was shortly to be excavated. The hope 

 was expressed that the Essex Field Club would endeavour to 

 obtain permission to excavate this portion, in order to be able to 

 examine it more closely than was possible when it was merely 

 being dug to obtain the material for brick-making. Unfortu- 

 nately the time and resources of the Club were so absorbed in the 

 preparation of the Museum at West Ham that it was found to be 

 impossible to do anything in the matter at that time. 



During the month of October, 1900, the brick-makers again 

 commenced digging, and on my hearing from Mr. Ken worthy 

 that a favourable opportunity had arrived for seeing the section, 

 I at once went to Braintree and watched the operations con- 

 tinuously for three days, when all the exposed bed at this level 

 was dug out. 



During the time I was able to make several sketches and 

 photographs of the sections and had the opportunity of examining 

 the deposit with some thoroughness. 



This observation proved to be in no way conclusive as regards 

 its being a pile-dwelling site, but revealed some points which 

 may be of use to those who in the future find opportunities to 

 interest themselves in the locality. 



The most important result of my visit was to obtain a more 

 accurate section of the bed of the stream than that published in 

 the former report. 



In the section previously published, the river bottom is 

 represented at about 10 feet from the surface. The brick- 

 makers dig to this depth, after which the digging is abandoned, 

 not because the bottom is reached, but in consequence of the 

 cutting becoming waterlogged. 



1 Essex Naturalist, Vol. XI., pp. 94-126 



