220 EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 



hollowed pathway of concave section, much better defined than 

 that found on the other side last year, was cleared. It probably 

 served as a track, by means of which spectators obtained access 

 to their places in the cavea on the W. bank. The upper margin 

 of the pathway was 5'sft. wide at its termination at the entrance, 

 diminishing in width and depth towards the W., the S. margin 

 disappearing altogether before the W. margin of the excavation 

 was reached. 



Digging near the base of the solid chalk arena wall, nine post- 

 holes were revealed about 3'sft. apart, extending for a length of 

 27ft. It was found that a trench, larger at the E. than the \V., 

 but averaging i'25ft. wide at the top and i'7sft. deep in the solid 

 chalk, had been cut out at the foot of the arena wall for the 

 reception of these posts, which were fixed into position by 

 ramming chalk round them. It is believed that the posts carried 

 a wooden barrier, or palisading, to protect the wall from climatical 

 changes. 



All, or nearly all, these post-holes, No. xxiv. to No. xxxii., 

 penetrated the solid chalk at the bottom of the trench to the 

 extent of from 3in. to Sin. They averaged 9in. square, their 

 exact size being shown on the plan. These post-holes contained 

 no relics worthy of mention. The position of four other post- 

 holes was located, No. xxiii. at the angle of the boundary wall, 

 and Nos. xx., xxi., and xxii. to the N.N.E. of No. xxiii., all near 

 the foot of the wall. Nos. xx. and xxi. were first noticed at a 

 depth of 3 '8ft. from the surface, and they did not penetrate the 

 level of the chalk floor, so that these posts must have been in 

 position when the wall was permitted to scale and the entrance 

 to fill up with chalk rubble, above which mould accumulated 

 subsequently. 



In the N.N.E. part of the cutting, close up to the chalk wall, 

 a large hole, " J," 6ft. by sft., was found to penetrate the floor of 

 the entrance-way to a depth of 3'2ft. ; the bottom was about 

 3'2ft. in diameter. No relics were found in it, and it had, no 

 doubt, been excavated for the reception of a post (No. xxii.), 

 round which loose chalk was rammed. 





