477. 



and by the Geological Survey, they might get a large number of 

 points mapped out, but in order to do this it would be requisite 

 that some members of the Club should undertake to assist in the 

 work, and he proposed that a committee should be appointed for 

 the purpose, Mr. Mitchell's suggestion was favourably received, 

 but as it was considered that it was not a matter which could be 

 dealt with at such a meeting it was deferred until the quarterly 

 meeting in April. 



Discovery op Ancient Remains at Twerton. 



The Rev. W. S. Shaw communicated a few notes descriptive of 

 a stone coffin which was exhumed on Friday last, in some garden 

 groimd near the Temperance hall, Twerton, When found, the 

 coffin was about 2ft. Gin. below the surface, and lying north and 

 south. It was filled with mould, in which nothing was found 

 except some large headed iron nails, very short, and with the points 

 dinted. Below the earth was a complete skeleton, from the position 

 of which he assumed that the coffin was not large enough for the 

 body, as the left shoulder rested against the side, and the skull lay 

 on the chest as if it were cut off or bent round. Near the coffin 

 was found a roughly worked stone pillar, 2ft. 4in. high, and 

 two small pieces of pottery were picked up close at hand. 

 Neither the coffin nor the pillar bore any inscription. In connec- 

 tion with this discovery, Mr. Shaw noted that some six years ago 

 two similar coffins were found in the same pai-ish. 



The Chairman thought it a very interesting discovery, and said 

 that such discoveries had been very frequent in the neighbourhood, 

 at Combe Down, Partis College, Langridge, Swaiuswick, and in St. 

 Catherine's Valley. It was difficult to fix a date for them. In the 

 case of one found ou Combe Down, on turning over the lid there 

 was an inscription which had nothing whatever to do with 

 the interment, but had belonged to the front of a Roman building 

 which had fallen into decay ; this showed that these stone coffina 

 were used at a much later date than the Roman period. At 

 Langridge there was a martel de fer found in a stone coffin, a weapon 

 used by the Crusaders, so that burials in stone coffins were not 

 always to be referred to Roman times, though the Romans cer^ 



