EXCAVATIONS AT MAUMBURY RINGS. 117 



the construction of the ditch. Unfortunately no relics were 

 found in the filling which appeared to be a comparatively 

 modern accumulation. At the level of the old turf line this 

 ditch was about 7ft. wide, and extended to a depth of 2*5ft. 

 below the level of the chalk rock ; the ditch was l'75ft. wide 

 at the bottom. 



At the W. end of Cutting XXIX., as mentioned in the 1912 

 Report, a trench, having a width of about 3ft. at the bottom, 

 was traced for a length of 5ft. running at a level of T7ft. 

 higher than the New Ditch which terminated against the 

 earthwork. This record, taken in conjunction with the line 

 of the trench in Cutting XXXII., led us to make a small 

 intermediate cutting (No. XXXIV., measuring 8'6ft. by 

 3'3ft.) on the N. and against the foot of the Great Bank 

 (Plate I.). Here we found a trench cut to a depth of 2 '6ft. 

 in the solid chalk, 6ft. wide at the surface of the chalk rock, 

 and l'9ft. wide at the bottom. The bottom was 2 -85ft. 

 lower than the floor of the trench in Cutting XXXII. (S.W. 

 side) ; the natural fall of the ground was in the same direc- 

 tion. No relics were found in the filling. 



To test the matter further, another cutting (No. XXXV. j, 

 measuring 10ft. by 2ft., was made in a similar position on the 

 E.N.E. side of the Rings, and here again a trench was found 

 now covered by the foot of the Great Bank. It was 4ft. deep 

 below the solid chalk, with a width of at least 8ft. at the same 

 level, and 1'Sft. wide at the bottom. At a depth of T3ft, 

 were found close together a head and neck of a human femur. 

 a metal ferrule of a stick, and a piece of thin black pottery 

 of Romano-British type (No. 410). These remains are 

 hardly enough in themselves to date the trench ; and, as 

 pointed out elsewhere, the presence of odd fragments of 

 pottery of the Roman period affords no definite evidence of 

 date, being constantly found mixed with disturbed soil. 

 The ferrule, however, brings us to much later times, and seeing 

 that modern remains were found in Cutting XXIX. and in 

 other parts of the New Ditch, the probability is that the 

 trench under consideration is of Cromwellian construction. 



