Ixxxix. 



FIFTH SUMMER MEETING. 

 MAUMBURY RINGS, DORCHESTER. 



A SPECIAL MEETING was held at Maumbury Rings, on Wed- 

 nesday, September 23rd, to view the excavations so far completed, 

 and to hear an address thereon by Mr. H. St. George Gray, who 

 had conducted and recorded the work. The party numbered 

 about 80. 



Captain ELWES said that, in the absence of the President, it 

 devolved upon him, as the senior Vice- President present, to 

 preside. After expressing regret at the very wet weather which 

 had driven them to the Museum for shelter, he referred to the 

 finances of the excavations. Those who would like to have the 

 official report of the work when it was published would be 

 entitled to receive a copy on subscribing not less than five 

 shillings to the fund ; and smaller contributions would also be 

 welcomed. He called upon Mr. Gray to give his address. 



Mr. ST. GEORGE GRAY said he regretted that the unfortunate 

 weather had not only greatly hampered their excavations, but 

 also, he feared, given the gathering a rather bad impression of 

 them in general. Antiquaries had been divided in opinion as to 

 whether Maumbury Rings was a Roman Amphitheatre or a Solar 

 Temple of pre-historic origin ; but only a small proportion of 

 those competent to judge had favoured the latter view. It had 

 been ascertained that the sun could never be seen from the 

 middle of the arena to rise in line with the opening, and that a 

 line drawn along this axis had not exactly the same orientation 

 as the well-known axis at Stonehenge. After reviewing all 

 that has hitherto been known about Maumbury, Mr. Gray gave 

 particulars of the dimensions of the Rings, which were elliptical in 

 form ; the long axis inside measured 2 1 3 feet, and the short 1 62, 

 and the outer dimensions were 345 and 333 feet. The maximum 

 height of the banks was 29' i feet on the west and the minimum 

 2i - 6 on the east. This was undoubtedly the most important and 



