THE EARTH'S SHAPE 



below the level of the present streets, mosaic pavements 

 and foundations, together with earthern vessels, bronze 

 implements, ornaments, coins, and other relics of Roman 

 time. Now if we knew nothing from actual authentic 

 history of the evidence of such a people as the Romans 

 these discoveries deep beneath the surface of modern 

 London would prove that long before the present streets 

 were built the site of the city was occupied by a civilised 

 race which employed bronze and iron for the useful 

 purposes of life, had a metal coinage, and showed not 

 a little artistic skill in its pottery, glass, and sculpture. 

 But down beneath the rubbish wherein the Roman 

 remains are embedded lie gravels and sands from which 

 rudely fashioned human implements of flint, arrow-heads, 

 hammers, and the like have been obtained. From that 

 we learn that before the Romans came an earlier race had 

 been there which employed weapons and instruments of 

 roughly chipped flint. 



We have no doubt that this was the order of the 

 successive peoples occupying the site of London. It is 

 obvious. Why is it ? We see that there are, broadly, 

 three layers or deposits. The upper layer is that which 

 encloses the foundations and rubbish of our own era and 

 times. Next below is that which encloses the relics of 

 Roman occupation. At the bottom lies that which 

 encloses the scanty traces of the early flint-folk. The 

 uppermost deposit is necessarily the newest, for it could 

 not be laid down until after the accumulation of those 

 below it ; and those below it must be progressively older, 

 as they are traced deeper from the surface. By the mere 



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