A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



of coins. In the year 1812, a collection of minimi to the number of a 

 thousand was ploughed up on land beyond the limits of the common at 

 Bungay." 



As an example of manufactures carried on within the county, the 

 potters' kilns discovered near the village of West Stow **" may be cited. Five 

 of these have been uncovered, the first in 1879, and there is reason to believe 

 that many more have either been destroyed or yet remain beneath the soil; in 

 fact that there was a little community of potters settled on this spot. The 

 kilns were sma]^ hut of the usual form. Shards of pottery lay about them, 

 but they were empty save that in one ampullae of a buff ware had been fired. 

 From the ashes of this last kiln two small brass coins of Constantine were 

 turned up, an indication perhaps of the date when the kilns were in working 

 order. 



Another more rare, if not unique find was made near Byng Hall, in 

 Pettistree," in Melton, in 1846. This had the appearance of a brickfield, 

 stacks of burnt and unburnt bricks of Roman character being brought to light. 

 Flanged tiles also and some hundreds of others of the usual form helped to 

 show the nature of the find. But unfortunately the excavations were not 

 continued ; little was done, and we have only an incomplete record of 

 what was seen. 



Before entering on another section of this paper, viz. the Roman roads 

 in and through Suffolk, some mention must be made of the miscellaneous 

 antiquities of the period. To go through any detailed list of these would 

 occupy too much space, nor are they, for the most part, so unlike much to be 

 found elsewhere as to need special remark. Some, however, of the more 

 remarkable are here cited. 



Amongst these, the statuette in bronze dug up at Barking Hall *' before 

 the year 1800 may well take the first place. The figure measures 22 in. in 

 height, and is believed to represent an imperial personage in full armour. 

 It is the details of this armour which give the figure its character and distinc- 

 tion, for the surface of the cuirass is completely covered with fine niello work 

 of a quality and completeness of design rare in this country. The statuette 

 was considered so important a specimen of its kind that it was engraved 

 and described in the fourth volume of Vetusta Monumenta of the Society of 

 Antiquaries. It now forms one of the chief ornaments of the Romano- 

 British collection at the British Museum. 



Fragments of two statuettes of a very different style from the preceding, 

 but of equal interest archaeologically, were found at Hawkedon,** in 1880, in 

 an amphora which had probably contained a cinerary urn. Only the heads 

 and busts of these statuettes remained. The material of which they were 

 composed was pipeclay. As an indication of size, it may be noted that the 

 head of one measured i in. and of the other i \ in. in height. Both represented 

 a nude type of the goddess Venus. Such figures are well known in France, but 

 are much less common in this country. What makes their discovery worthy 

 of notice is that they may perhaps be looked upon as objects of popular worship. 

 The two specimens here mentioned may have had a place in the domestic shrine 



19 



Proc. Suff. Inst. Arch. 1863, iii, 414. " Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. 1881, xxxvii. 152 et seq. 



" Davy, Suff. Coll. B.M. MSS. xxxvii, 191 13, fol. 194 a, b. See diagram of find in Topog. Index. 

 " Vetusta Monumenta (Soc. Antiq.), iv, pi. xi, xv. *' Proc. Suff. Inst. Arch, vi, 1888-9. 



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