EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 89 



to be rising slightly towards the N., whereas the floor of the 

 " Civil War trench " fell in the same direction (see Plate II., 

 Report, 1910). The object in digging Cutting XXII., there- 

 fore, was to ascertain whether the solid chalk entrance 

 extended further towards the town. In Cutting XVII. the 

 W. chalk wall was revealed in diminished proportions, and 

 this year it was found to disappear altogether beyond Cutting 

 XXII. Moreover, the rise in the chalk roadway ceased, and 

 proof was afforded that the N. termination of the Roman 

 entrance was 3'8ft. higher than the solid arena at its N. 

 margin. Close to the floor a piece of ornamented Samian 

 pottery (No. 248) was uncovered, and a coin of Constantine I. 

 (Vrbs Roma) was found in fi]ling-in. 



It was found also that the Civil War trench on the east 

 side of this cutting was still falling northwards, the difference 

 in the level of the bottom of the trench and the Roman floor 

 being about 2'3ft. This trench was 7'7ft. wide at the Roman 

 level, and 5 - 7ft. at the bottom. In the lower half of the 

 filling were found XVII. Century shards, an iron key-shaped 

 object (Fig. 2), and a French counter with AVE as the only 

 legend, repeated (circa 1550). 



In Cutting XXIV. (7ft. by 3ft.), further N.N.E., the W. 

 edge of the C.W. trench w T as again struck ; also in Cutting 

 XXV. (10ft. by 4ft.) close to the wall of the Constabulary 

 Station, where it was 4'5ft. deep below the present surface. 

 In it were found a small bronze buckle and some XVII. 

 Century shards. Another reason for digging here was 

 because archaeological remains were discovered when the 

 wall was being built in 1893, and the trench was also disclosed 

 then.* The C.W. trench was again met with in a garden 



* Dorset Album, Vol. I., part 2, p. 27b. " April, 1893 ; five graves 

 shown as having clean straight cut sides, 3ft. or 4ft. deep, running in a 

 line 70ft. to 180ft. measured from Weymouth Road fence. In the 

 graves two Roman coins, a small Roman cup and a two-handled cup 

 (R68 and R139), a rapier, iron bands, coffin nails, &c." These 

 antiquities are in the Dorset County Museum. 



