416 Oliver's Camp, Devizes. 



higher in prehistoric times than at present, but, even so, any 

 spring must have been some little distance from the enclosure of 

 Oliver's Camp. The nearest spring to the camp is now some 

 three or four hundred yards away at the foot of the hill. It is 

 called " Mother Anthony's Well," and is said even in the hottest 

 summers to be an unfailing source of supply. 



Five heartli sites were found during the excavations, three 

 beneath the ramparts and two in the interior of the camp. The 

 sherds of coarse pottery found in three of them are of the Bronze 

 Age type, but the impressed fiugei" nail ornament on that from 

 the centre of the camp, whilst of common occurrence in that 

 period, seems to be found also on pottery of a later date. The 

 fact that three out of the five hearths were actually under the 

 ramparts, make it at least probable that they are all older than 

 the camp. Tliese hearths are perhaps evidence of the occupation 

 of the site daring the Bronze Age, and before it was fortified. In 

 this connection it is interesting to remember the presence of the 

 two Bronze Age barrows just outside the entrenchment at the 

 western extremity of the hill. 



In the light of the very imperfect and scanty knowledge which 

 we as yet have of British earthworks in general, it is difficult to 

 arrive at any definite conclusion as to the probable age and origin 

 of one in particular. Excepting those of purely Roman origin, 

 little is known with any certainty of even the general character- 

 istics which distinguish the earthworks of successive peoples. 



But it will probably be by the details of the work rather than 

 in general outline that the earthworks of the different races will 

 eventually be recognised, and it is of these details that we are at 

 present most ignorant. For instance, there seems to be no record 

 of any excavation of an entrance of what appears to be a pre-Roman 

 camp. The entrances at Winkelbury were not examined. This, 

 in relation to Oliver's Camp, is particularly unfortunate, for, as 

 already mentioned, Winkelbury — though on a larger scale — in 

 many respects bears such a striking resemblance to Oliver's Camp, 

 that it seems almost certain that whatever race designed and 

 built the one must have built the other also. It is, therefore. 



