g8 THE COMING OF AGE OF 



Mr. Holmes' " Geological Notes on a supposed Earthwork near 

 the Railway Station at Harlow" {Ihid. IX., 59) which led to a 

 friendly controversy with Mr. I. C. Gould {Jhid., 65 and reply 

 p. 68). 



Man}' other contributions to the records of the e.xistence of 

 early man in Essex appear in our pages. In iSgi Mr. J. French 

 called attention to the existence of ancient lake remains at 

 Felstead and in the neighbourhood (Essex Naturalist VI., 34), 

 and the Rev. J. W. Ken worthy gave us in 1899 his most interest- 

 ing paper on " A Supposed Neolithic Settlement at Skitt's Hill, 

 Braintree," the value of which is enhanced by Mr. Reader's 

 remarks on the archaeological remains, Mr. Holmes' notes on the 

 geology of the district and Mr. Newton's remarks on the osteo- 

 logical specimens {Ihid. XL, 94 — 126). The notes by Mr. 

 Holmes on the ancient cemetery at Saffron Walden (Proc. 

 IV., cc.) bring us down again to a later period in human history. 

 The mysterious " Red Hills" or " Salting Mounds "so numerous 

 about the estuaries of the Essex rivers were referred to at a 

 meeting held at Colchester and Mersea m 1884 [Proc. IV., cxiii.) 

 and a paper on these remains was published by Mr. Stopes in 

 1887 (read in 1884; Essex Naturalist I., 96). Our Hon. 

 Secretary, Mr. W. Cole, is among those who have given latest 

 attention to the subject, having explored several of these 

 mounds, and has come to the conclusion that they may have 

 been the sites of ancient potteries. This view is most probable, 

 but the final answer to the questions as to their age and 

 object can only be solved by further systematic excavation, and, 

 as Mr. C. H. Read urged in his recent address, it is to be hoped 

 that this work will be undertaken by the Club. 



A glance at the map indicating the distribution of ancient 

 earthworks throughout Essex will show that we have visited 

 many, published good accounts of some, and explored none with 

 the exception of the two Epping Forest camps above referred 

 to. Four " camps " are described in great detail in the Essex 

 Naturalist, viz., Withambury by Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell (I., 19), 

 Danbury by the same author (IV., 138), Haesten's Camp at 

 Shoebury by the same author (IV., 150) and the Uphall Camp, 

 Barking, by Mr. Walter Crouch (VII., 131). In 1897 M^. T. V. 

 Holmes communicated his " Notes on Ancient Defensive Earth- 

 works in connection with those of Rayleigh 'Castle,' Essex" 



