ROMANO-BRITISH SUFFOLK 



coarse black ware mixed with large sandy grit, and two small vases filled with ashes and bones, 

 were turned up, and at the same time appear to have been found five or six bronze objects 

 resembling padlocks with a loop at the top for suspension, but with a circular hole through 

 the centre. They were all of different sizes, the metal of which they were formed was very 

 thin, and they were filled with a light-coloured earth. Besides these were found an object 

 like a carpenter's gouge, spear-heads, an arrow-head, pieces of metal possibly parts of armour, 

 and masses of metal apparently fused by fire. In February 1833, in the same spot, two more 

 small earthen vessels were discovered, one 7 in., the other 9 in. high, filled with burnt bones, 

 together with a ' small stone pot,' and three days later came to light a nearly perfect skeleton. 

 It was found about 2 ft. 6 in. from the surface of the ground, lying upon its face, near the 

 vessels just mentioned. Round the neck was a necklace of beads of ring-like form, of glass, 

 the colours purple, yellow, and light green. One was veined, and opaque, another opaque, 

 formed in ridges and rough in texture. A small bronze tube was with these, probably the 

 fastening of the necklace. The arm of the skeleton was encircled by a bronze bracelet. At 

 a slightly later date and near the same place two more urns, one of which was 6| in. high, 

 filled with bones, were dug up together with a patera 6^ in. in diameter of so-called Samian 

 ware, with leaves on the rim. Other articles from the same site, and from a long trench at 

 a depth of loft. (?) were discovered in 1834. The list is as follows: a small glass bottle, 

 very thin and opalized ; a ring of wood, very black (probably Kimmeridge shale) ; a bronze 

 pin and chain ; various rings of bronze difFeiently ornamented, and one of twisted wire ; many 

 beads, some iron nails, and a fragment of a black pot. The greater number if not the whole 

 of the objects described were purchased by Mr. Davy [SufF. Coll. B.M. MSS. iii, 191 78, 

 216, 221; xix, 19095, 87, 1 16-18]. A vase of the shape called thumb-pot; a bracelet 

 of bronze with three ring-like beads threaded on it ; a vase of light brown earth and 

 a small globular vase ornamented with rows of dots in slip, are all figured in SufF. Illus. (Fitch 

 Coll.), xii. In the Museum, Bury St. Edmunds, are fragments of figured so-called Samian 

 ware ; three fragments of greyish ware with stamped ornament ; a chain (Acton Coll.) ; a 

 necklace of glass beads and amber ; the top of a bottle ; black ware ; a fragment of grey 

 ware with incised circles. In the Museum, Ipswich, is a large thumb-pot. In the British 

 Museum are a pot of grey ware with lines of dots in slip ; an upright pot of reddish drab 

 ware ; a jet spindle-whorl ; a lead pin ; a portion of a bone comb ; a bronze pin ; seven 

 armlets ; a neck-ring ; and a necklace of jet and glass beads. The smaller objects were 

 purchased in 1832-3. 



EvB. — In 1733 a gold coin of Honorius (a.d. 395-423) was found at Hoxne near Eye [MS. 

 Min. Soc. Antiq. ii, 14]. A hoard of gold coins was discovered here, of which the following 

 is the first account : ' One day this week, as two labourers were digging in a sand-pit at 

 Eye . , . they struck their spades against a case covered with lead, within 2 ft. df the surface, 

 which gave way, and discovered upwards of 600 Roman gold medals . . . They are of the 

 purest virgin gold as fresh as if just coined . . . We hear Mr. Pitt, the proprietor of the soil, 

 has put in his claim' [Ipswich Journ. 19 May 1781]. A further notice speaks of these 

 coins as of the reigns of ' Valentinian (senior and junior) [a.d. 364-92], Gratian (a.d. 375- 

 83), Theodosius (a.d. 379-95), Arcadius (a.d. 383-408), and Honorius (a.d. 395-423)' 

 [Camden, Brit. (ed. Gough), ii, 90]. A mention is made that human bones were found nea 

 this treasure by Gillingwater {Hiit. of Lowestoft, 1790, p. 38 note; MS. Min. Soc. Antiq. 

 xviii, 2 (1781) ; Numis. Chron. (Ser. 3), xi, 10]. The hoard is said to have been turned up 

 on Clint Farm [Proc. Suff. Inst, of Arch, v, 109], and the spot is thus noted on the O.S. maps: 

 'Roman coins and coffin found about a.d. 1781 ' [O.S. 6-in. xxxvi, NE.]. A small wingless 

 Cupid in bronze 4 in. high was found at Eye (possibly Roman) [SuflF. Illus. (Fitch Coll.), xi]. 

 Remains of a Roman building were discovered in 1857 Ifi"^* ^^gl- ^- ^"'^ Q- i, 249 ; O.S. 

 6-in. xxxvi, NE.]. 



Felixstowe. — Here was a Roman station known under the name of Walton Castle, formerly 

 existing on land near the village of Felixstowe, which has long been washed away by the 

 encroachments of the sea (see p. 287). The site of the cemetery attached to it still remains. 

 The following are the principal authorities for the former existence of the station : — A 

 communication from Dr. Knight to the Society of Antiquaries of London, which has been 

 inserted in the manuscript Minute Book of that society [i, 71, 2]. The letter is dated 

 28 November 1722 [J Tour in the Whole Island of Britain, by a Gentleman (ed. 3), 

 39-40]. Mr. T. Martin, in his account of the remains, which is dated 16 September 1725 

 [Church Notes, i, 185], says, ' About half a mile from the town (of Felixstowe) are the ruins of a 

 Roman fortification upon the brink of the clift (great part being already fallen down, a few 

 years are likely to put a period to the whole), 'twas built very substantially with rock-stone and 



Roman brick. ' The portion of this wall of 



I 305 39 



