EARLY MAN 



well seen is in Chevening Park, and from that place to the Surrey 

 border, near Betsom's Farm, it is possible to trace its course with con- 

 siderable precision. In Surrey it passes through Titsey Park, where its 

 course is indicated by a slight depression in the ground. It runs through 

 Surrey and beyond as far as Southampton. 



It will be obvious from the above that the Pilgrims' Way is no 

 mere track-way leading from village to village, but an important trade- 

 road extending from the sea-coast on the south to the sea-coast on the 

 east of England. Moreover, it does not connect the Saxon villages of 

 the district through which it passes. It clearly belongs to an earlier 

 system of roadways than those connected with the Saxon civilization. 

 It is also essentially distinct from the Roman roads of the county, which 

 are of a military character, and have been constructed straight across 

 the country from Canterbury to Rochester, Dartford to London, Lympne 

 to Canterbury, Dover to Canterbury, Dover to Sandwich, etc. 



It is quite safe to assign the Pilgrims' Way to a pre-Roman period. 

 Professor W. Boyd Dawkins ' points out that it belongs to the same 

 system of roads which in other parts of Britain are clearly proved to 

 belong to the prehistoric Iron Age. The fact that it passes through a 

 settlement of this period at Bigberry Wood, near Canterbury, and also 

 quite near the late Celtic urnfield at Aylesford, is certainly interesting as 

 evidence that the Pilgrims' Way is as old as the Early Iron Age, but itis 

 in no way opposed to the opinion formed by the present writer that the 

 road is really very much older. As a matter of fact, the question of the 

 antiquity of this ancient way is closely connected with one of the most 

 interesting problems of the prehistoric archaeology of Britain. 



Much has been written, and many different opinions are held, as to the 

 position of Ictis or Mictis, the points on the sea-coast of Britain, or on 

 an island or islands close by Britain, where the tin was shipped for 

 foreign parts. St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight ' 

 have been suggested by some authorities as the probable ports from 

 which tin was shipped; but there is a good deal to be said in favour of 

 a port situated near a shorter sea passage, and both the Isle of Thanet 

 and Dover answer these requirements. To both ports the Pilgrims' 

 Way afforded a commodious and direct means of communication. As 

 has already been mentioned, east of Canterbury it appears to have been 

 continued to these two points on the sea-coast by two distinct routes. 



In the present state of this question, when the identification of 

 Mictis and Ictis are still in doubt, it may be premature or unwise to 

 theorise as to the possibility of Thanet or Dover having been the points 

 where tin was shipped for export. Still, the fact that they mark the 

 eastern terminations of this remarkable roadway is significant, and the 

 suggestion appears to be worthy of consideration. 



The possibility of the Pilgrims' Way having been a still earlier 

 thoroughfare is suggested, rather than indicated, perhaps by the manner 



' Archesohgical Journal, lis. 217-18. 



• See an interesting paper on this point by Mr. Clement Reid, F.R.S., in Archieologia, lii. 281-8. 



333 



