British Dwelling-Pit at Beckhampton. 67 
or were deserted for a more temperate and less exposed climate.” 
In a field near Oxford there is an assemblage of many dwelling- 
pits of exactly the same size and shape as the one at Beckhampton, 
some of them single round holes, and others double and intersecting ; 
together forming a large British village. 
I have no doubt there are many more of these pits on Mr. 
Wentworth’s down. His shepherd informs me that he can point 
out many places where the same hollow sound is produced by riding 
or driving over the ground as that which indicated the spot where 
the present dwelling was found. 
These will, I hope, be shortly explored by some of the members 
of our Wiltshire Society, and I have little doubt that they will be 
rewarded by some of the richest finds that have been discovered for 
many years. 
Dr. Stevens, of Reading, has kindly sent me the particulars of 
some similar pits, opened by him near Hurstbourn, Hants. 
Although the articles found in these pits were very similar to 
those at Beckhampton, the pits were probably constructed by quite 
another tribe of people, as they differ entirely in their formation 
from the sharp round form of the Beckhampton dwelling. 
I quote the following description, given by Dr. Stevens, of these 
pits: —‘‘The number found was six, but these were evidently only 
a portion of a considerable village. These pits were of various 
diameters, but about 4ft. deep; they were all entered by an alley, 
or sloping passage, graduating downwards from the level of the 
native soil into the pits; the alley about the same length as the 
diameter of the pit, and averaging about 18ft. 
“One of these pits contained the remains of bones of ox, deer (cervus 
elephas), sheep, dog, and rabbit; a quantity of calcined stones, 
probably pot-boilers; rude Romano-British pottery; a bodkin of 
bone; a bone knife; flint flakes; and sandstone grain rubber. In 
another pit, which we thoroughly investigated, was found a sand- 
stone grain rubber, and around the fireplace, which was of flint 
_ stones, and in the centre, bruising stones or mullers ; also pot boilers ; 
bone needle with eyelet; bone bodkin; marrow scoop; a chalk 
whorl; a whetstone; also flint flakes and cores.” 
F 2 
