EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 103 



IV. CUTTING XXX. 

 (PLATES I., II., III., AND IV.). 



This was by far the largest cutting which has been made at 

 Maumbury. Its position is on the line of the transverse 

 axis and on the E.S.E. side of the Rings. It extended from 

 the E. margin of the arena through the highest part of the 

 Civil War terrace, and half-way through the Great Bank to 

 its crest (Plates I., II.). The horizontal length of the cutting, 

 in the direction indicated, was 63ft., and the width on the 

 curve of the arena about 47ft. The margins in other 

 directions were irregular and governed by the structure 

 revealed as the excavations proceeded. At this spot the 

 highest part of the terrace is 12' 7ft., and the crest of the 

 Great Bank is 22 '9ft. above the arena-turf. 



The arena-floor was reached at the S.W. end of the cutting 

 at a depth of 3' 75ft. below the surface, and at the N.W. end 

 4 - 35ft. Not far from the W. margin a fine chalk rubble 

 occurred at the floor level, and it soon became evident that 

 shafts of a similar character to those discovered in other 

 cuttings also existed here ; and the W. half of their openings 

 gave the edge of the solid arena-floor a sinuous outline 

 (Plate III., B.). 



In removing the chalk rubble and other filling, the following 

 relics were discovered, the great majority of them being of 

 the Roman period : 



337. A large number of shards of black Romano -British pottery 

 found spread over a small area just under the turf. Much of it has 

 burnished line ornament, including the common lattice pattern. 



340. Globular bead of light grey colour formed from a fossil 

 hydrozoon, Porosphaera globularis. Found in the upper Roman 

 mould. A similar bead was found in 1910 (No. 175), and has been 

 figured. About three dozen of these fossils were collected from various 

 parts of Cutting XXX. and at different depths ; but very few of them 

 had been bored for use as beads. 



342. Piece of brilliant bluish-green vitreous paste, probably part 

 of a tessera. Found in the Roman area. 



