980 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 
great fosse and the labour its construction must have entailed when 
metals were unknown in Britain. This inner slope of Cutting III was 
the finest example of cut chalk exposed in any part of the excavations ; 
and the uniformity of the slope and the absence of projections seemed to 
indicate that the fosse was originally excavated with greater care near 
the entrance-causeway than elsewhere. The average inclination of the 
fosse wall was at an angle of 634°, and covered a length of 26°5 feet on 
the slope; but the steepness of the profile in the lowest 6 feet was 
remarkable, being at an angle of 81°, the chalk resting in immense solid 
blocks in its natural condition. No ancient tool-marks were observable 
on the walls of the fosse, near the bottom or elsewhere. 
The following specimens were collected from Cutting ITI :— 
139. Fragment of the base of a medieval pot; depth, 6 feet. Medieval 
pottery was less plentiful in Cutting III than elsewhere; we have, however, 
a tray of shards from depths between 4 and 5°5 feet. 
144. Two small pieces of grey Roman pottery. Depth, 9°5 feet. 
143. Fragment of coarse brown pottery with smooth faces; apparently of 
Late-Celtic type. Depth, 11 feet. 
142. Fragment of light brown pottery containing very few grains; 
probably Bronze Age. Depth, 12:3 feet. 
140. Finely worked discoidal flint scraper bearing indications of con- 
siderable use, and having a deep bevelled edge. Depth, 9°5 feet in the 
mjxed silting. 
141. Roughly chipped implement. Depth, 9°5 feet in the mixed silting. 
147. Flint core, Depth, 12°5 feet in the mixed silting. 
IV. Excavations in the Position of the Ancient Southern Entrance. 
Cutting ITI having given us no evidence of the position or existence of 
a southern entrance into Avebury, we found it necessary to pay attention 
to the area to the east, on the other side of the high road, both near the 
two large standing-stones of the outer circle on the property of Lord 
Avebury and in the position of the plantation of beech trees owned by 
Capt. Jenner, the two properties being divided here by a barbed-wire 
fence. The trees were noticed to be planted on a slight ridge sa near th 
road that it was thought possible that it might be the result of a collection 
oi rubbish from the highway and elsewhere, and especially as the position 
is covered on the south by the end of the outer vallum which appears to 
obstruct any direct approach to the most northern remaining stone of the 
Kennet Avenue. But it was, on closer examination, observed that the 
slight ridge also extended towards the north into the meadow in the 
direction of the space (24 feet) which exists between the two remaining 
standing-stones of the outer circle. 
(a) Cutting IV.—-Forthwith we made a cutting (No. IV), length 
47 feet, width 5 feet, approximately at right angles to the ridge and 
23 feet from the most westerly of the standing-stones. Here we reached 
the solid chalk in the middle of the cutting at a depth of 2 feet from the 
turf, and there appeared to be no sign of a continuation of the fosse in this 
position. The same depth was maintained to the most easterly part of 
the cutting, but there were occasional dips in the chalk which appeared 
to have no special significance. At 28 feet from the eastern end there 
was a step in the solid chalk down to a depth of 3 feet from the surface ; 
