368 Auden: Anthropology at the British Association. 
covery at Deir-el-bahari of the shrine of Hathor—the Goddess 
of the Mountain of the West—here, as usual, represented in 
the form of a heifer, the modelling of which shows such exquisite 
workmanship and power. 
Professor Bosanquet described the continued excavations at 
Sparta, on the site of the Temple of Artemis Orthia, and the 
wonderful richness of the find of votive offerings in the neigh- 
bourhood of the Altar. In connection with this he gave an 
interesting explanation of the ‘Scourging Festival’ at Sparta, 
the cruelty of which is described by Cicero and Plutarch. The 
Scourging ordeal, the victor which was known as _ the 
‘ Bomontkos,’ or ‘Victor of the Altar,’ and which not infre- 
quently resulted in death from the injuries inflicted, has 
hitherto been assumed to be a survival of an older Spartan 
test of endurance, comparable to the initiation rites of many 
primitive peoples into the privilege of manhood. Professor 
Bosanquet, however, traced the evolution of the Festival from 
a rough game in the 4th century B.c., in which the young 
Spartans had to snatch cheeses from the altar while others, 
armed with whips, tried to beat them off. Under the Roman 
rule there seems to have been an artificial revival under a 
mistaken idea as to the origin and meaning of the traditional 
usage, perverted, however, from being a mere game into being 
a regular competitive examination in the power of endurance, 
conducted before crowds of spectators, who flocked to the 
theatre built round the altar about a.p. 200 for that purpose. 
The game itself may have had its origin in a custom of the 
lads striking one another for luck with boughs from the Agnus 
Castus, which grew in the river bed, and was sacred to the 
goddess. 
Dr. Ashby, who has charge of the excavations on the Roman 
site at Caerwent (‘Venta Silurum’), presented a report of the 
excavations of the newly discovered Basilica and Forum, and of 
the large building with two Hypocausts, known as ‘ Building 
No. 7,’ which was excavated last year. Caerwent, some five 
miles from Chepstow, is well worth a visit by those interested 
in the subject, and it is to be hoped that ample funds will be 
forthcoming to explore the large area which the generosity of 
Lord Tredegar has secured for excavation. The south wall of 
the fortress is in part in a very good state of preservation, and 
in its course has two multangular towers, which have a close 
likeness to the well-known Multangular Tower at York. 
Turning to other themes the Section joined with that of 
Naturalist, 
