178 Notes on ArclicBology. 



several flattish sarsen stones which may have been the covers of a pit some 8 or 

 9ft. deep. This pit, of which there was no indication on the surface, contained a 

 quantity of rag stones which seemed to be partially in situ still as the lining of 

 the sides. A number of fragments of pottery found amongst the stones, and a 

 quantity of animal bones found at the bottom of the pit. were some time ago 

 submitted to General Pitt-Rivers, who reported on them as follows : — '" The 

 pottery is no doubt Romano-British. There is one fragment of Samian of 

 inferior quality but probably imported ; and fragments of Romano- British 

 imitation Samian. There is one fragment of basin-shaped rim with upright 

 ridge, which was common in all these villages (near Rushmore), and has been 

 found by Mr. Mansel Pleydell in the ancient kilns at Bagber, Dorset. It is 

 the ordinary form of vessel at Silchester. 



" Most of the fragments are of the ordinary black-brown quality found in all 

 the Romano-British villages here, and in the kilns at Bagber, where it appears 

 to have been made. One small fragment resembles the quality ' E ' that was 

 found in both sections of Wansdyke, and which will be described in my Vol. III. 

 of Excavations, that is just coming out. Several fragments resemble the quality 

 R ' of the sections in Wansdyke, viz., red outside and in. and generally grey in 

 the interior of the substance. There can be no doubt, therefore, I think, that 

 your well is of the same period or earlier than the Wansdyke. The ordinary 

 pottery appears rather harder than the average from the villages : this may 

 perhaps be owing to the preservation of it in the deposit in the well. It is not 

 enough, in my opinion, to cause a distinction. Great care is necessary in 

 identifying the fragments of pottery. You cannot go by colour, which depends 

 a good deal on the baking, and the same vessel may vary in colour in different 

 places, so that the black -brown and red may in reality be the same pottery. 



" The only measurable bones are : — 1, fragment of skull of ox ; 2, humerus of 

 ox ; 3, metacarpus of horse ; 4, metatarsus of horse ; 5, metatarsus of deer, 

 Ccrvus elajjJius. 



" The calculation of stature from the skull of the ox gives an approximate 

 height at the shoulder of 4ft. 3in., about the size of our modern Pembroke ox, 

 and considerably lai-ger than the ordinary Romano-British ox of these parts, 

 which was 3ft. 3in. to 3ft. 5in.. viz., about the height of our modem Kerry cow, 

 But as the estimate could only be made from one measurement of the skull, viz. 

 the maximum bi-orbital width, it is not very reliable. I should say that the 

 calculation from the minimum inter orbital width gives a stature of 3ft. llin., 

 but this also is not very reliable. 



"The humerus of ox gives a height at the shoulder of 3ft. llin., which is 

 about the size of our Aldcrney cow, and a little larger than the average Romano- 

 British ox. This calculatifm is only approximate, as the bone is a little reduced 

 in length, and its original length had to be judged. 



"The metacarpus of horse gives a height at the shoulder of 12 hands Sin. , 

 and the metatarsus gives a height of 12 hands 2 'in., which is about the size of 

 our New Forest pony, aud is also the size of the Romano-British horse of these 

 parts. These measurements of horse are both quite reliable. 



" I have no test animals by which to calculate the height of the red deer from 

 the metatarsus, but it is rather a small red deer." 



C. V. GODDAED. 



