420 Discoveries near Fonthill. 



7|in. long and |in, square in section, tapering to a point at either 

 end, but evenly towards one end and couvexly towards the other. 

 I have supposed it to be either a stone-tiler's pick — in which case 

 it would be wedged by the middle into a slotted haft — or else the 

 head of some kind of pick — in which case the convex end would 

 be the "business " end, and the other inserted into the end of the 

 haft. The fourth spit Ijrought to light besides pottery an interesting 

 collection of flints at the point where the ditch descended rather 

 rapidly over an outcropping bed of rock. The collection included 

 two borers Sin. long, two oval scrapers Sin. x 2i-in., one hexagonal 

 scraper Ifin. x liin. and ten flakes. The diggings had then to 

 be closed, as the ground was required for grazing. 



A few remarks may here be made as to the ditches thus laid 

 bare. The ditches, though straight as far as general direction 

 goes, deviate considerably on either side of an absolutely straight 

 line. The original depth averages 3ft. belov/ the present surface, 

 or 4ft. from the estimated original surface of the ground. As the 

 vallum still rises 1ft. above that line we know that the command 

 of the one over the other was not less than 5ft. ; probably it was 

 aliout 7ft. As the vallum may also have been capped by a stockade, 

 the place would have been of considerable strength. At the same 

 time strength cannot have been the principal object, as the site 

 selected offers no special advantages, being on the side of a gentle 

 slope. Indeed the earthwork should rather be called a cattle 

 yard, or kraal, than a camp. The number of animal bones and 

 teeth found in the ditches support this idea. No reference has 

 hitherto been made to the animal remains/ as the writer is incom- 

 petent to deal with tlie subject ; but it is hoped that they may be 

 identified, and if possible measured and compared with the results 

 obtained by Gen. Pitt-Eivers in the Chase. 



Before leaving these two sites it will be advisable to give some 

 estimate of the results. We have deduced that a Komano-British 

 village existed on the Withy Beds site, and a cattle yard of the 



' Most o£ the bones, few of which were entire, were subsequently sent to 

 the Cambridge Museum. 



