CHAP. IV. OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 223 



up by the plough whenever the land was 

 cultivated. But after a time a greater 

 thickness of fine earth will thus have been 

 accumulated than could be reached by the 

 plough; and a bed like the 25^-inch mass, 

 in Fig. 14, will have been formed beneath 

 the superficial mould, which latter will have 

 been brought to the surface within more 

 recent times, and have been well sifted by 

 the worms. 



Wrosseter, Shropshire. The old Roman city 

 of Uriconium was founded in the early part 

 of the second century, if not before this date ; 

 and it was destroyed, according to Mr. 

 Wright, probably between the middle of the 

 fourth and fifth century. The inhabitants 

 were massacred, and skeletons of women 

 were found in the hypocausts. Before the 

 year 1859, the sole remnant of the city above 

 ground, was a portion of a massive wall 

 about 20 ft. in height. The surrounding 

 land undulates slightly, and has long been 

 under cultivation. It had been noticed that 

 the corn-crops ripened prematurely in certain 

 narrow lines, and that the snow remained un- 

 melted in certain places longer than in others. 



