248 EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 



Extension ; but transversely the arena-floor in this position 

 was found to fall from W. to E. to the extent of O'Gft. in a 

 length of 20ft. 



The inner trench running obliquely across the western 

 end of the cutting had the usual ledge, or step, along its 

 outer margin, which supported rammed chalk, leaving a 

 width of 1ft. for the trench proper. 



On or near the level of the arena-floor a " third brass " 

 coin of Tetricus L, A.D. 267-273 (No. 171), and a British 

 imitation coin, IV. Century (No. 172), were found ; also a 

 few fragments of pottery of the Roman period, including a 

 piece of red Samian (No. 173). At a depth of 4.8ft., a globular 

 bead (No. 175), formed from a fossil hydrozoon, Phosplwera 

 globularis, was discovered (Fig. 4). On the floor and just 

 over it ten iron nails were collected. The usual " shingle " 

 was also observed ; it contained a large proportion of small 

 water -w r orn fragments of quartz. 



At 20ft. to the W.N.W. of the E. end of the cutting the 

 Roman floor was no longer formed of solid chalk ; conse- 

 quently we decided to extend the digging in a W.S.W. 

 direction, the whole cutting in a straight line attaining a 

 maximum length of 73ft., bringing the work practically up 

 to the margin of Cutting X., 1908 (through the prehistoric 

 shaft No. I., the terrace, and up the great embankment to its 

 crest). 



In this large area a number of interesting features became 

 involved (see Plate III.), and we saw nothing more of a solid 

 chalk arena, as the N. margin of an immense shaft (No. IV.) 

 extended for a length of 49ft. to the W.S.W. end of the cutting, 

 where, however, it did not terminate. The solid arena-wall 

 also proved of interest, as it was more irregular here than 

 elsewhere, and gradually diminished in size towards the 

 W.S.W. In this excavation, too, the inner trench cut into 

 solid chalk gradually disappeared as we proceeded, but its 

 line was most clearly defined in the rammed chalk deposit 

 over the mouth of the great shaft. The solid chalk gangway, 

 or intermural space, between the arena-wall and the inner 



