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At the conclusion of Dr. Bird's paper, the Rev. H. M. Scarth 

 made some further obsei-vations upon ancient Vitrified Forts. 

 Alluding in the first place to the camp on Leigh Down, near 

 Bristol, called Borough Walls, the inner rampart of which was very 

 similar in its construction to the Vitrified Forts of Scotland (an 

 account being given of it in the number of the proceedings of the 

 Somersetshire Arch, and Nat. His. Soc. for 1868-9), he quoted from 

 a description of the Vitrified Forts in Scotland given as early as 

 A.D. 1777, by Mr. John Williams, Mining Engineer. The walk 

 were considered by him to be formed by the action of fire applied 

 to the material of which they were made, and this Mr. Scarth 

 thought no one could doubt who had examined this construction 

 carefully. Some years ago, when travelling in Scotland, he had 

 paid some attention to this branch of Archaeology. 



When the site was selected, which was usually a small hill with 

 a level area on the top, two parallel banks of earth were thrown 

 up in the direction of the rampart. This groove was filled with 

 fuel, and on this was placed a quantity of granite or other stone to 

 be vitrified. The mass was then set on fire, and more matter and 

 more fuel were added, till the rampart reached its proper height. 

 It was then covered over with loose stones and earth. The mass 

 of vitrified matter is often covered to a considerable depth. The 

 vitrified portion is generally from 10 to 14 feet high, and the width 

 at the base about 30 feet. 



The Vitrified Forts in Scotland occur for the most part N. of 

 the Forth. Only four have been noticed in Ireland. Vitrified Forts 

 have been found in Bohemia, and have been described by Dr. 

 Jul. Ernest Fodish, and his account translated by Dr. Ferdinand 

 Keller. In Scotland there are many difierent kinds of stone which 

 can be melted or fused by fire, viz., whinstone, granite (much of 

 which is found in Vitrified Forts in Scotland), sandstone, and 

 pudding stone, or conglomerate. Vitrified Forts have been found 

 in France, in Brittany, also in Saxony. 



Antiquaries regard them as belonging to the same period as the 

 Cromlechs and other megalithic structures, and articles of bronze 

 have been found within their enclosures. They have therefore been 

 assigned to what is usually known as the bronze period. Two 



