By J. U. Powell, M.A. 287 



that the Romanized British population was thick, there is little 

 sign of wealth. Traces of the wealthiest Roman life are found in 

 Gloucesteishire, Somerset, and Dorset: Hampshire, Berkshire, 

 Oxfordshire, come second : and South Wilts is behind them. 



It was not because of the climate, for the Hampshire uplands 

 and the Cotswolds are as bleak. It was not because communication 

 was difficult. It was liecause there was never an official Roman 

 centre in South Wilts. If we look at the map, we shall see that 

 villas are in clusters round an organised centre. Thus the 

 Gloucestershire villas connect with the centre on the cross roads 

 at Cirencester and the military post at Gloucester. The Somerset 

 centres are Ilchester on a trunk road, and Bath, the health-resort ; 

 and villas cluster round them. The Hampshire centres are 

 Winchester, with its tidal river, and Silchester, with its manufac- 

 tures ; and so we find villas dotted round them at Thruxton 

 and the neighbourhood. The Oxfordshire centres are Dorchester 

 and Alchester, and so we find groups of villas, as in Berkshire in 

 the Didcot plain, and in Oxfordshire along the Evenlode valley. 

 It was because Salisbury never became a Roman centre that we 

 find but one outlying station in South Wilts. 



Again, why do we find no traces of Christianity in South Wilts? 

 Its neighbours, Dorset,^ Hants,- and Gloucestershire,^ have traces, 

 and it is probably accidental that no similar traces have yet come 

 to light in Somerset and Berkshire. The same answer must be 

 given as before. 



To sum up. The district which we have been considering bears 

 out remarkably the conclusions at which recent writers, for 

 instance, Mr. Haverfield and Professor Vinogradofi', have arrived. 



' At Frampton, near Dorchester, and at Fifehead Neville, are Chi-Eho 

 monograms. 



- At Weyhill was found a Chi-Rho monogram. At Silchester have been 

 found what is generally — but not universally — regarded as the foundations 

 of a Church; the Chi-Eho monogram; a ring with a Christian inscription, 

 " Vivas in Deo " ; and the Christian symbols of a fish and a palm branch 

 (Arc/iceoloffia, 58, p. 32). 



^ At Chedworth Villa is the Chi-Eho monogram. But the supposed 

 " baptistery" is a iish-tank. 



