EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 245 



which, however, cannot be identified with certainty. The 

 puddled and rammed chalk here was exceedingly hard and 

 more difficult to remove than any of the rock-chalk near by. 

 In it was found a fragment of red Samian pottery (No. 194). 



The gangway, or passage, between this trench and the inner 

 trench was about 2ft. wide, and was fairly even in all but 

 the S.E. part, where, for a length of 6ft., the chalk was rugged, 

 and left at a level equal to, or even higher, than the arena- 

 floor.* The smooth part of the gangway was O7ft. lower 

 than the nearest part of the arena-floor. Over it several 

 fragments of Romano-British pottery (No. 185) were found, 

 and at a depth of 4 - 2ft. below the surface an iron cleat 

 (No. 181) was uncovered (Fig. 3). Its use as portion of 

 the iron furniture of sandals, or shoe leather, is proved by the 

 discovery of specimens with a quantity of hob -nails at the feet 

 of skeletons at Rotherley and Bokerly Dyke. A specimen was 

 also found on the old surface line under the rampart of the 

 Wansdyke in N. Wilts, f and others have been found at 

 Silchester, &c. 



The inner trench which was previously traced for some 

 distance in Cutting XII., 1909, J was very clearly defined in 

 this cutting, extending from the large smooth-sided circular 

 pit containing Post-hole No. ix. to the extreme E.S.E. corner 

 of the digging. It varied in width at top from T7ft. to 2'2ft. ; 

 at bottom from O7ft. to l'5ft. It was about l'2ft. deep below 

 the gangway and from T8ft. to 2'4ft. below the arena-floor. 

 This part of the inner trench differed from other parts 

 (Cuttings XII. and XX.) in having no ledge, or step, on its 

 outer side, but the filling consisted of chalk rubble along the 

 outer half and mixed mould and fine chalk along the inner 

 side. In two places post-holes (Nos. xli. and xlii.) were 

 distinctly traced in the trench, the bottom of the holes 



* The reason for this cannot be determined unless the cutting is extended 

 further southwards. 



t " Excavations in Cranborne Chase " II., 190 ; III., 102, 106, 129, 270, &c. 

 t Report, 1909, pp. 9-10. Proc. Dor. Field Club, XXX., 221-2. 



