182 KIMMEKIDGE COAL-MONEY. 



hand. In 1810, in some excavations made near the Roman wall 

 at Fordington, not fewer than a hundred skeletons and several 

 urns of various forms were discovered. Urns without contents 

 were frequently found near the skeleton and generally near the head. 

 The largest urns contained bones partially consumed by fire, and 

 generally without any admixture of earth as if they had been col- 

 lected after cremation ; some were covered by a patera containing 

 charcoal. Most of the small urns did not contain any bones or 

 ashes and were found near an unburnt skeleton. A coin of 

 Hadrian was found lying on the breast of one of the bodies. On 

 another site in the neighbourhood the remains of more than 50 

 bodies were found. They had been all deposited entire with the 

 exception of two, which had undergone cremation. Many had 

 been apparently enclosed in coffins, as nails of various lengths were 

 with the bodies. Round the neck of one female was a necklace 

 of small glass and amber beads ; an armilla of Kimmeridge shale, 

 which had been turned off and finished in a manner indicating an 

 advanced stage of art, encircled the wrist. An amulet or large 

 bead of the same material was found with the rest, which was 

 well turned, and ornamented with circular lines. It was nearly 

 spherical, the longer axis being an inch and a quarter, the shorter 

 one inch. Two armillse and an amulet, or bead of Kimmeridge 

 shale were found in another interment. Both the armillse and 

 the amulet were polished and ornamented ; there were also two 

 Roman coins with these relics by which it may be inferred that 

 the date of the interment was during the Roman occupation of 

 these islands ; it is reasonable to suppose that the armilla3 were 

 manufactured in the lifetime of the person by whom they were 

 worn. Some of the bodies had been cremated and others buried in 

 coffins ; both these practices prevailed among the Romans as 

 well as the Britons j chiefly so among the latter. That of 

 burning the body and depositing the ashes in urns prevailed both 

 among the Romans and the Britons, more especially among the 

 latter. The establishment of the Roman power in this part of the 

 country induced an intermingling of manners and customs ; 



