EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 101 



hole). It was observed that the well was " steaned " only in 

 the position where the solid chalk had been cut to a depth of 

 6 -3ft. The width of the steaning was about 1ft., and what 

 remained was built in four courses, the bottom being 6' 75ft. 

 below the surface. The stones on the inner edge were 

 trimmed to conform to the circular shape of the well. It was 

 found that the shaft extended downwards with the same 

 diameter of 4ft. 



At a depth of 8ft. below the well's mouth a typical fragment 

 of glazed stoneware of the Bellarmine type (No. 338) was 

 found. At 12- 5ft. a piece of red earthenware with a dark 

 brown glaze (No. 339) was obtained ; this was of the same 

 type as the albarello (No. 295) found in the New Ditch (Cutting 

 XXIX.) outside the N. entrance, and referable to the middle 

 of the XVII. Century. At 14ft. three glazed shards and an 

 iron horse-shoe nail (No. 341) were found also modern. 



At this stage in the operations we temporarily stopped 

 the re-excavation, but ultimately decided to obtain some 

 builder's men, a windlass and other tackle (Plate II.) to 

 pursue the work further. 



Two pieces of black pottery (No. 379) were found at a 

 depth of 14'3ft. below the well's mouth. One fragment is 

 modern ; the other I am inclined to regard as Romano-British, 

 but a single fragment of Roman pottery where the whole 

 country teems with such shards affords no evidence of date 

 by itself, and it might easily have become mixed with the 

 material used for filling the well. The iron nail (No. 382), 

 depth 19ffc., has a decidedly modern appearance. 



At 15ft. below the mouth of the well the pieces of chalk 

 rubble became very large, and at 16ft. Purbeck slabs began 

 to be found and continued to the bottom. About eleven 

 dozen of these stone slabs were afterwards counted, and most 

 of them were shaped, one edge being slightly concave. From 

 this fact it was evident that at one time the mouth of the well 

 was steaned more extensively than it was when we found it, 

 and it is possible that the stones originally extended all round 

 the mouth. 



