ANGLO-SAXON 

 REMAINS 



IT will be admitted that Berkshire has been specially favoured in 

 respect of Anglo-Saxon discoveries ; but without in any way disparag- 

 ing the excellent work done in the county by eminent archaeologists, 



the question may be raised whether this exceptional position is not 

 due more to the abundance of remains in the soil than to the accident of 

 discovery and the advantages of skilfully conducted exploration. 



Discoveries made some years ago at Long Wittenham, almost on the 

 banks of the Thames, have proved in many respects the most important 

 in the county, and the objects unearthed are available for reference at the 

 British Museum. The Rev. J. C. Clutterbuck, who was vicar of the 

 parish, was the first to draw attention to the archaeological interest of the 

 site, and furnished a brief report of a discovery there in 1 848 to the Arch- 

 aeological Institute. 1 The skeleton of a warrior was found lying with the 

 head to the south about 3 feet below the surface, provided with sword, 

 spear and shield, as well as a small vase at the left shoulder. Thirteen 

 years later four skeletons were discovered at Dry Lease in the same parish, 

 buried with the head towards the north-east in a trench about 3 feet 

 deep. 2 There was not much to indicate the date of burial, and in no in- 

 stance had the body been laid at full length ; but in the jaw-bone of one 

 was noticed a green stain produced by a small coin of Constantine, and at 

 the head of another was a small red vase of rather fine quality. These 

 circumstances may point to contact with Roman civilization, and find a 

 close parallel in certain graves uncovered a few months previously. 



The cemetery excavated during 1859-60, under the direction of 

 John Yonge Akerman, on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries, was 

 situated to the south of the village, which itself lies on the right bank of 

 the Thames or Isis, about midway between Abingdon and Wallingford. 

 The interments did not extend beyond the limits of a plot of ground 

 called the ' Free Acre,' and formerly known as ' Town Furlong.' It was 

 bounded on one side by the road to Wallingford, usually known as the 

 Cross Lane. Abundant traces both of burnt and unburnt burials were 

 here discovered, and exhaustively described 3 by one who took a special 



1 Journal, v. 291, 253, where a sketch of one of the interments is given. 



* Pnc. Sac. Antiq. ser. 2, ii. 37. 



s Arch, xxxviii. 327 ; xxxix. 135 (5 plates). 



