A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



with the vase, and possibly a small casket in fragments. From one side 

 an iron spike projected from the brickwork, sustaining an iron lamp. 



The third and last of the smaller tumuli was practically worn down 

 by the passage of a road across it, but the fourth and largest was intact 

 when opened in 1844 by Professor Henslow, who had examined all the 

 others previously. The interment had differed entirely from the others 

 in that it was by inhumation. On a floor of flints at the original level of the 

 ground was built up a chamber of rubble and tiles, a sort of little house with 

 roofing of tiles. At the north end was a small projection, but for what purpose 

 could not be made out. Inside, in a leaden coffin probably originally inclosed 

 in one of wood, lay the skeleton of a man. Nothing else was found in the 

 tomb. The interment seems to have been of comparatively late date, and 

 may have been Christian." 



Turning now to more extensive sepulchral deposits, the first which may 

 be named was discovered in the parish of Pakenham, next to that of Ixworth, 

 early in the 19th century whilst digging for gravel. The man who came 

 upon it described it as a square place full of pots set in rows. There were 

 many, but he could not tell the number. The urns were of dark colour, and 

 some had covers. No care was taken to preserve any of them, and these few 

 words record all that is known of them." 



Of more importance is a cemetery found in 1873 ^" ^ ^^^"^ called ' The 

 Cowpath Breck,' close to the road to Thetford, when the railroad was in course 

 of construction between Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford. As the cuttings 

 progressed no less than nineteen interments were noted. There was only one 

 vessel containing ashes, a vase of red ware covered with white slip, all the other 

 burials were in coffins of which only the nails remained. Most of the coffins 

 had an east and west position ; in the second burial the head, however, was 

 to the north. There seems to have been some pottery with the coffins, and 

 in one having an east and west position was a vase of Durobrivian ware and 

 some horses' teeth ; in another a second vase of Durobrivian ware of a red 

 colour." 



Not far from these interments a group of rubbish pits occurred. They 

 had the usual contents, animal bones and broken pottery. Wherever such 

 pits are found it is a sure sign of the presence of habitations not far off. Thus, 

 though the cemetery has been discovered, the village of which it was the 

 burial-ground has yet to be found, unless indeed it has utterly disappeared."^ 



Less satisfactory because more disturbed was a cemetery recorded to have 

 been found between HaverhilP' and Withersfield, not far from the castle at 

 the former place. Here in 1759, in digging for gravel, complete skeletons were 

 unearthed and many cartloads of human bones removed from the spot. These 

 would not have been conclusive evidence of Roman burials if such had not 

 been proved by the presence of urns of glass, />^/'fr^^ of so-called Samian ware, 



"Pnv. Suff. Inst. Arch. 1874, iv, 257 et seq. ^Joutii. Brit. Arch. Assoc. 1846, i, 138 (?). 



" For further details see under Ingham in the Topographical Index. 



"The mention of rubbish pits leads to that of wells. Some few of these have been found in Suffolk, 

 especially along the coast where at Covehitl.e near Southwold the fall of the cliffs disclosed a certain number. 

 They all seem to have shown the usual construction of sqjare Roman timber-framed wells in this country, 

 made of boards, standing in sections one on another and strengthened at the angles with short cross pieces. 

 The wells arc noted here because when they became dry, they were generally used as rubbish pits, and from 

 them as from the pits many and various objects have been obtained. 



"Coles MS. v, 31, fol. 92-3, and for drawings of some of the objects, fol. 91^, 92^. 



294 



