THE EXCAVATIONS 45 



south, of tlie east gate was carefully cleared, and it is 

 possible that an examination of the section at this point, 

 where the wall is better preserved than at any other part, 

 may assist in solving this much-discussed problem. We 

 have, therefore, prepared a m.easured section of the ram- 

 part to the north of the east gate, and above this we have 

 placed a section of the wall only, as it may now be seen 

 to the south of the east gate.*" By combining these two 

 sections, I think we may arrive at the original construc- 

 tion of the defences of the fort. To the left of the section 

 the clay bank is seen sloping upwards from the interior 

 of the camp area, its original outline being indicated by 

 the line of broken tiles, on which dressed stones are found, 

 lying apparently just as they fell as the tower was de- 

 molished. The clay bank, both north and south of the 

 gate, seems to terminate in a vertical face. On the south 

 side, as shown in the upper section, the wall, consisting 

 of an outer facing, with a roughly coursed rubble backing, 

 runs back to this vertical face. On the north side, the 

 wall is apparently represented by the footings only, the 

 rest having been removed, and a great part of the debris 

 there, as shown by the presence of tiles, may have been 

 derived from the ruins of the tower. The remainder of 

 the section explains itself. The general inference is that 

 the fort was defended by a wall a little over five feet thick, 

 which served as a revetment to a clay bank which ran 

 back some fifteen feet further. 



Turning to other forts, and disregarding for the moment 

 the case of Newstead, as still sub judice, we find somewhat 

 similar features at Gellygaer and at the Saalburg, on the 

 German Limes. The outer defence of Gellygaer consists 



47. I think it should be said that this wall has not been exposed down 

 to the foundation. The foundations are inserted exactly as they are 

 found to exist elsewhere. 



