-Mo Prehistoric Archaeology of Cambridgeshire 



Wolds to the coast of Devon, and is so conspicuous a feature 

 in the geological map of our island, and which at this part of 

 its course forms the watershed between the valleys of the 

 Thames and the Ouse. The cha.i. tself is locally called 

 'chinch,' and is much used for building, some of the churches 

 (e.g. Harrington) being entirely constructed of this material." 



And yet the profusion of remains of high antiquity is not 

 surprising, for Cambridgeshire is a district lying on several 

 important lines of communication, thoroughfares of import- 

 ance from the earliest period, either from their strategic value 

 or their subservience to trade. For this reason the archaeo- 

 logy of the county is necessarily to a large extent associated 

 with the great roads by which it has been traversed for so 

 many centuries, and in general the character of the pre- 

 historic remains is such as one would expect to find in the 

 neighbourhood of trade routes and important military roads. 



The present account therefore comprises in the first place 

 some description of the ancient roads. Next in order it is 

 convenient to consider the relics of early settlements in the 

 shape of forts or earthworks. Following this, the considera- 

 tion of the occurrence and the characters of the early imple- 

 ments, weapons, or other objects, will then claim attention. 

 And finally a few notes will be added on the characters of 

 the remains of prehistoric human beings which have so far 

 come to light in the course of excavations of whatever kind. 



I. The Roads. The accompanying map (no. I.) shows 

 diagrammatically the course of six of the principal ancient 

 roads, which will now be considered briefly. 



The Via Devana. This name, like those of the other roads 

 to be subsequently described, dates from about the 17th 

 century and its exact origin is quite obscure. As a descrip- 

 tive term, it is however quite appropriate, for the road in 

 question affords communication between the ancient Roman 

 stations of Chester and Colchester. Its general direction is 

 still followed through Cambridge by Bridge Street and the 

 Huntingdon Road, and traces of its use in Roman times \\vn- 



