ON THE AGE OF STONE CIRCLES. 109 



The chalk rubble covered the sides of the ditch up to the top ; in the 

 middle of the silting the deposit was reached at a maximum depth of 

 8'7 feet, and extended downwards to the floor of the fosse to a maximum 

 depth of 16'8 feet, and a minimum depth of 16'6 feet, from the surface. 

 We were much impeded in clearing the smooth, flat floor of the fosse 

 owing to the repeated falls from the vertical face of the silting. How- 

 .ever, after perseverance, a length of 1 7 feet was cleared at the bottom, ^ 

 the length of the excavation on the surface being 24 feet. The bottom 

 of the fosse avei-aged 17 feet in width (between 17 "3 and 16 feet in one 

 part). The inner wall of the fosse did not vary in slope very considerably, 

 as seen by the diagram (inclination about 59°), but the lower 5 feet of 

 the outer wall was very steep in most places (maximum inclination 80°). 

 No tool-marks were observable on the walls of the fosse, near the bottom 

 or elsewhere. 



(c) Cuttiiig II., Fosse, and digging to the East of it. — At 87 feet to the W. of 

 the hedj^e of the road coming: into Avebury from Kenuet, and at 69 feet to the 

 E. of the W. marijin of Cutting I., another section was surveyed across the silting- 

 of the fosse. On May 23 a large cutting was begun here. It was soon found that 

 as this section was nearer the road there would be a greater amount of surface 

 silting to remove than in Cutting I. At the bottom of the surface silting several 

 fragments of Norman and mediseval pottery, two flint flakes, and a core v/ere 

 found, but as time pressed (Cutting I. having proved a heavier task than was 

 anticipated), it was found necessary to cease working at Cutting II. on June 1, 

 hoping that it might be completed at some future time. A total depth of 

 6'5 feet was attained on the W. and 5 feet on the E. Present length of the 

 cutting 9'5 feet. Judging from the sides already exposed, it appeared possible 

 that the fosse might be narrower at the bottom as it approached the Kennet 

 Avenue entrance. 



If at no other place, it is quite reasonable to suppose that the 'Temple of 

 Avebury' was entered from the S. by way of the Kennet Avenue. We should, 

 therefore, look for an entrance causeway in the position of the modern road and a 

 little to the E. of Cutting II. Indeed, this cutting was commenced here in order 

 that it might be prolonged eventually in search of the end of the fosse terminating 

 in a solid chalk causeway. To try and prove the existence of such a termination 

 on the S. we made several trial-holes to ascertain the direction taken by the upper 

 margins of the walls of the fosse exposed in Cutting II. Holes were made along 

 both margins, and in all those nearest to Cutting II. the solid chalk upper margin 

 of the fosse wall was revealed ; but, instead of the fosse narrowing, it widened 

 as it approached the hedge and road. A trench was dug on the S. side up to the 

 hedge, and on the N. side close to the gate, but without proving that the fosse 

 rounded off. If such a termination does occur under the W. side of the roadway, 

 then the solid chalk entrance must have been narrow for so important a monument 

 as Avebury. On the other hand, there may have been no entrance causeway, and 

 it is possible that the fosse was spanned by a bridge. It is feared that, owing to 

 the presence of the hedge and modern roadway, it may be difficult to prove the 

 point. The best course to pursue would probably be to continue Cutting II. 

 towards the hedge, and, if found necessary, to drive a tunnel under the road at a 

 safe level. 



(d) The Silting in Cutting I. {see Sectional Diagram). Dimensions taken in 

 the middle of the siltitig. — I. Turf and turf-mould, thickness O'B foot. 



2. Surface silting, average thickness 2 4 leet ; fine loamy silt of light-brown 

 colour, without lumps of chalk, washed in and partly the resuli of denudation, 

 but mostly derived from silt drained into the fosse from the roadway. 



' On a future occasion the remaining seven feet length of chalk rubble could be 

 excavated in the hope of finding other relics in this important deposit. 



