Excavations at Birrensvvauk. 59 



stone pitching of the front. While absent, or partially, at one or 

 two places, it has doubtless been constant, both in the case of the 

 encircling rampart and the outer one on the south side of the hill. 

 The best sections show the work in very complete form, and 

 continuous from the base to the crown. The ramparts here, while 

 not so steep on the front as those of the camps below, equal in 

 this respect the mounds at Birrens. A number of sections 

 made at intervals revealed the inner structure of the mounds. 

 At the east recess of the south side of the hill, the core was 

 found to consist of large stones heaped together. At other 

 two places it was formed of heaps of earth and stone 

 intermixed. These conditions, however, were probably accidents 

 or disturbances, as the other sections all exhibited earth structure; 

 and in one section a peculiar description of bonding occurs, which 

 seems to evidence tenacity on the part of the builders to this 

 mode of treatment, whatever the material at command for the 

 purpose might be. It consists of a row of roundish flat stones, 

 very regularly disposed in a straight line from side to side, and 

 with narrow interspaces, about half-way np the mound (Plate 

 VII. fig. 17). 



The mound separating the east and west parts of the plateau 

 is built of earth over a ridge of rock, and shows no intermixture 

 with or covering of stone. It is not more than 2 feet high above 

 the rock. 



The gateways are no less interesting than the defences just 

 described. Differing, and necessarily, from those below, they are 

 not less skilfully ari-anged. Traverses are wanting, but advan- 

 tage is taken of the recesses in the sides of the hill in which to 

 lay out the approaches so that they are dominated and flanked by 

 the returning ramparts on either side. 



Of the west gateway, which is a little recessed, nothing remains 

 but broken pavement. Leading from it is a narrow path, 4 feet 

 wide near the gate, and '.1| feet further away, formed by cutting 

 out the hard rock a depth of 2 feet. It passes west and south- 

 wards, round a steep escarpment of rock, on which the enceinte 

 returns. 



The north gateway is situated in a deep recess of some width, 

 which is flanked by precipitous ramparted heights on either side. 

 In this case, also, only disturbed pavement marks the structure, 

 and on one side is a fragment of a drain 12 feet in length, with a 



