57 



COOKING STOVES ? 



On removing all the debris from the floors we came upon a 

 curious structure, which we here figure : 



Our drawing shows a flask-shaped pit, narrow at the opening, 

 and expanding at the closed end. This was built up of the 

 oolite stones of the district, and covered at the top of this kind 

 of wall with flat lias stones, and around this, for many feet 

 square, was a pavement of the like stones. 



Some two or three of these structures were found in the 

 centre of the floors, while others were in the angles formed of 

 rough foundations. They were all very much alike in shape 

 and size, about two yards long and a yard wide ; their interiors 

 were blackened or reddened from heat, and its consequent 

 different forms of oxidation of the iron in the materials, whilst 

 a layer of carboraceous matter was found at the bottom of the 

 pits. 



These facts led to the supposition that they were employed 

 for cooking stoves and bakeries. They might, however, have 

 been used for baking the rough pottery previously described. 



