244 



Camden was exercised on the subject of the Abone and the 

 Trajectus, and Dr. Ormeeod states that no less than twenty 

 theories have been propounded on this subject by Antiquarian 

 authors of the last two centuries. Some of our earthworks 

 have been claimed as the scenes of events recorded in the 

 " Saxon Chronicles," and with great ingenuity proved (to the 

 satisfaction of the writers) to be the sites mentioned in the 

 accounts of particular battles, when the same historical events 

 have been proved, with equal show of probability, to be refer- 

 able to other localities. 



It is reasonable to suppose that the sites of many of our 

 Camps, and especially of those on naturally strong positions, 

 have been occupied as defended posts by successive races, ever 

 since man inhabited this portion of the globe. The first family 

 who set foot on our hills would, on the approach of the first 

 sunset, seek some place of security in which to pass the night. 

 With, it might be, dreaded foes pressing on their rear, with 

 beasts of prey around, and unknown dangers before, they would 

 choose some site easily defended, and from which a wide extent 

 of country could be viewed, conditions which present themselves 

 on many a projecting headland of our hills. Although there 

 have not as yet, I believe, been met with any implements of 

 Paleolithic type, there are abundant indications in the worked 

 flints found in the surface soil, and in numerous burial mounds, of 

 the occupation of our county by men using implements of Neolithic 

 type. Oval tumuli occur on the Cotteswold range, circular 

 tumuli throughout the county, the former the burial places of 

 a race apparently unacquainted with the use of metals, the 

 latter of a race having implements and ornaments of bronze.* 



* A late wiiter — Ferguson — on " Rude Stone Monuments," says: "If 

 burying in barrows had been tbe fashion in Gloucestershire as it was on 



the wolds of Yorkshire or the downs of Wiltshire but 



there are hardly half-a-dozen tumuli in the whole county ; they, Hke Uley, 

 Eodmarton, Stoney Littleton, are all chambered tumuli of one class and 

 apparently one age ; all, too, it may be remarked, are close to Roman 

 stations and surrounded by evidences of Roman occupation." There is no 

 need to refute this hasty assertion, but the abundant evidence of the sojourn 

 of a Flint-folk here is worth noting. Dr. Thurnam in his paper on Ancient 

 British Barrows, gives a list of thii-teen Loncf Barrows in Gloucestershire, 

 and there are at least ten more which may be ascribed to that type. 

 The number of circular tumuli cannot now be ascertained, for besides the 

 large number of which traces remain very many refen-ed to by Rudder 100 



