A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



chains, which he suggests was fixed at the top of the staff. Other objects he describes as 

 possibly ' the pi/ae, sometimes styled circuit, and clypei, which are said by Isidorus to have been 

 just added by Augustus.' These were of brass, with apparently plates of silver soldered to 

 them on one side. They were soldered together, and probably had rings by which they 

 were suspended to the staff. Several thin plates of silver in the form of leaves were found, 

 two of which had scratched on them an inscription, which may be read DEO MARTI SANCTO, 

 and others had figures of Mars standing in front of a temple, Mars and Victory, and Apollo. 

 Two brass fibulae were found at the same time. 



TAPLOW. In a mound or barrow near the old parish church objects in gold, silver, bronze, glass, 

 and pottery were found. They were of Anglo-Saxon date, except some slight early remains 

 of Samian and other pottery [Proc. Sue. Antiq. (Ser. 2), x, 19 ; Journ. Brit. Arch. Asm. xl, 63, 



an]. 



THORNBOROUGH. Bronze vases, a cinerary urn of glass, a bronze lamp with a crescent on the 

 handle resembling one found near Halesworth in Suffolk, and other remains were discovered 

 in a tumulus on the estate of the Duke of Buckingham, and exhibited at the Loan Exhibition 

 at Buckingham by the Hon. Richard Neville [Arch. Journ. vii, 82 ; xii, 276]. 



TINGEWICK. The remains of a Roman villa were found in the parish of Tingewick, which lies 

 about two miles westward from Buckingham, and near to the ancient road from Bicester, 

 through Stratton Audley and Water Stratford in the direction of Towcester. The field in 

 which the discoveries were made is called ' Stollidge,' and is more than a quarter of a mile 

 from the village. The foundations stood on the brow of a hill, which slopes in a north- 

 westerly direction towards the River Ouse, about a quarter of a mile below Tingewick Mill, 

 a situation unusual for the Romans, who generally chose a southern slope. The first discovery 

 was made in 1860, and the excavation was continued in 1862. The foundations had in places 

 been disturbed, and were too fragmentary to give a complete plan of the building ; but from 

 the plan and description made at the time the main building seems to have been a villa of the 

 corridor type, lying east and west, the corridor running along the north side. The total 

 length of the house was about 93 ft., and the width 27 ft., inside measurements, the rooms being 

 about 12 ft. wide, and the walls about 2 ft. thick. To the south of this building, about 

 106 ft. away, was a smaller one, measuring externally 22 ft. 4 in. by 12 ft. It was divided into 

 two apartments, the larger of which, to the west, measured 1 1 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. 6 in., and had 

 walls on the south and west sides 18 in. to 20 in. thick, and on the north 12 in. thick. The 

 smaller apartment was divided into two, the larger part of which was 6 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. 10 in., 

 and the smaller 3 ft. loin, by i ft. loin. The latter, which was apparently a tank, was 

 surrounded by strong masonry, on the south 18 in., on the east 2 ft. loin., on the north 2 ft., 

 and on the west 3 ft. thick. The floor, which was 1 7 in. below the ground level, was, together with 

 the sides, plastered with mortar said to be hardened by fire. It had a moulding 2^ in. wide carried 

 round the bottom, and a drain or flue 5^ in. by 6 in., sunk a little below the level, and passing 

 through the outer wall in the lowest course of the foundation, the top of the drain being 

 formed by one tile 15 in. long by i^ in. thick. The drain, on passing out of the building, 

 curved in a westerly direction and ran down the hill. The floor of the larger apartment was 

 paved with tiles, and was 13 in. below the bottom of the tank and 2 ft. 6 in. below the prob- 

 able level of the smaller apartment. A number of flue-tiles were found within and with- 

 out the walls, which suggested to Mr. Beesley the idea that this small building was a bath ; 

 but it seems more likely to have been a workshop of some kind, possibly a part of one of the 

 small dye-works which seem to have been a feature of Roman Britain. Southward of the drain 

 above mentioned, about 42 ft. distant, were traces of another drain or ditch running parallel to 

 it. About 78 ft. westward of the corridor house was a third drain on the slope of the hill, which 

 is said to have contained several circular holes or rubbish pits, which were excavated to a depth of 

 about 120 ft. From this last ditch the greater number of the antiquities was taken. They are 

 very numerous, comprising broken pottery, floor, roof, and other tiles, bones of animals, iron nails, 

 coins, and implements ; and also earthenware vessels. In one part of the field a large quantity 

 of dark-coloured earth was found, and this yielded several objects of interest. Amongst others 

 were found close to the smaller building, a pair of bronze compasses (fig. i) in perfect preserva- 

 tion, 6 in. long, which work on a nail as a pivot or axis, the pointed or sharp end of the nail 

 projecting half an inch on the side opposite to the head or nut, and having the point bent 

 downwards ; portions of bronze armillae (fig;. 2 to 7) ; part of necklace (fig. 8), made of 

 rings of silver wire, ornamented with glass beads, the rings, each consisting of two coils of 

 fine wire, set alternately, two and three together, divided by small beads of dark blue glass. 

 The fragment is 3 in. in length, and the clasp at one end perfect. There were found also the 

 pin of a. fibula (tig. 9), 4 in. in length, and formerly gilt, a very similar bronze pin from Wood- 

 perry, Oxon., may be compared with this [Arch. Journ. (1846), iii, 120]; a bronze ring with 



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