4.96 REPORT—1899. 
Operations were confined to an area of about eight acres in the south- 
west corner of the city. 
This area is bounded on the north by insule XV. and XVI. ; on the 
east by insule XVII. and XVIII., excavated in 1897 ; and on the other 
sides by the city wall. It contained two insule (XIX. and XX.), 
together with a large triangular area to the south, forming apparently 
part of insula XVIII. See the plan in last year’s report. 
Insula XIX. presents the peculiarity of being inclosed by a wall, and 
contains, in addition to three minor buildings, a well-planned house of 
early date and of the largest size, with fine hypocausts. Toit is attached 
the workshop of some industry, with a large inclosure dependent on it, 
containing two settling-tanks, perhaps belonging to a tannery. The court- 
yard of this house is partly underlaid by the remains of a much earlier 
one, of half-timbered construction, containing in one of its chambers a 
mosaic pavement of remarkable design, and perhaps the earliest in date 
yet found in this country. A small house in this insula is somewhat 
exceptional in plan and also, perhaps, of early date. 
Insula XX. contains a number of buildings scattered over its area, 
but none of these appears to be of any importance. Two of them are of 
interest as furnishing plans of houses of the smallest class. This insula 
also contains one of the curious detached hypocausts which were noticed 
in the excavations of 1897. A large inclosure with attached chambers, 
near the lesser west gate, may be conjectured to have contained stabling 
for the accommodation of travellers entering the city. 
Several wells were found in both znswle, lined either with the usual 
wooden framing or disused barrels. A pit in inswla XX. contained a 
double row of pointed wooden stakes driven into the bottom, and may 
have been for the capture of wild animals at some period anterior to the 
existence of the Roman town, or subsequent to its extinction. No archi- 
tectural remains were found, but the rubbish-pits yielded the usual crop 
of earthen vessels. . 
The finds in bronze and bone do not call for any special notice, but an. 
enamelled brooch of gilt-bronze, with a curious paste intaglio and several 
settings of rings, may be mentioned. 
Among the iron objects are a well-preserved set of hooks, perhaps for 
hoisting barrels, and a curious pair of handcuffs or fetterlock. 
From a pit in insula XIX. was recovered an upper quern stone, still 
retaining its original wooden handle. 
Although a considerable area in the southern part produced no pits 
or traces of buildings, the ensule excayated are quite up to the average in 
point of interest, and their addition to the plan completes a very large 
section of the city. 
A detailed account of all the discoveries was laid before the Society 
of Antiquaries on May 4, 1899, and will be published by the Society in 
‘ Archeologia.’ 
The Committee ask to be reappointed with a further grant. 
