EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 109 



of an average width of l'2ft. at the top (Plate IV.). At each 

 end of the trench there were single post-holes, one D-shaped, 

 one round, and two square. All of them were l'85ft. deep 

 below the platform. These trenches correspond exactly 

 with those found in the W. enclosure. The chalk wall at the 

 back of this area reached a height of 10ft. ; the lower half 

 stood at an angle of about 80. There was no trench at its 

 foot, nor was there one at the foot of the corresponding wall 

 in the W. enclosure. A deep recess of semi-circular section 

 penetrated the wall at the W. end of the S. trench ; this 

 recess extended to a height of 3'9ft. above the floor. Its base 

 was O'Sft. above the platform, whereas the bottom of the 

 similar recess in the S. wall of the W. enclosure (Cutting XX.) 

 was 2ft. above that platform. If the posts in the S. side- 

 trenches carried hoardings these recesses would have been 

 obscured. 



Near the top of the arena -wall to the N. of the enclosure 

 three and to the S. two strut-holes were noted, and they were 

 of a similar form to those found elsewhere in previous years. 

 (Plates II., IV.). 



Owing to the existence of shafts between the arena-wall 

 and enclosure and the nearest part of the solid arena-floor, 

 the inner and outer trenches, which bounded the arena in all 

 parts of the Roman amphitheatre, were very difficult to trace in 

 this cutting, for the reason that they had been almost entirely 

 cut in the rammed filling above the mouths of the shafts, and 

 indeed no part of the inner trench had sides or bottom of 

 solid chalk. Here and there the outer trench penetrated 

 the solid chalk (see foreground, Plate III., B.), but even in 

 those places its sides were composed of rammed chalk in the 

 upper parts. The average width of the gangway was 3ft. 

 (as elsewhere), and the average width occupied by both 

 trenches was 7' 2ft. No post-holes could be traced in the 

 inner trench, but in the outer trench two circular post-holes 

 were noted at the S. end of the cutting, a square one in the 

 middle of the front of the enclosure, and five square ones at 

 the N. end. 



