176 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.— 1915. 



the proposed work may, if national circumstances permit, be efficiently 

 carried out in the spring of 1916. Permission is also asked for, as 

 previously, to apply for financial support from outside sources. This 

 id rendered necessary on account of the very extensive excavations 

 which are necessary before the lower strata can be reached. The results 

 so far obtained amply warrant a renewed application for funds for the 

 further exploration of this most important archseological site. In any 

 case, a sum of not less than 151. will be required for filling in and 

 making good the excavated areas at present remaining exposed, but it 

 is hoped that means may be available to enable the inevitable filling 

 in to be effected concurrently with fresh exploration. 



The Committee wish to express their thanks to Major L. D. C. 

 Jenner, the owner, and to Mr. E. A. Parsons, the tenant, for their 

 permission to conduct excavations upon the selected portion of the 

 monument, and to the former for the loan of materials. Thanks are 

 also due to Dr. W. Wright, Mr. 0. Eeid, and Mr. E. T. Newton for 

 their kindness in examining and diagnosing some of the finds. 



The Avebury Excavations, 1914. By H. St. Geoege Gray. 

 I. Introductory Remarks. 

 The following account of the work of excavation carried out at Ave- 

 bury in 1914, under the general direction of the Committee, is a report 

 upon two large cuttings, which, owing to their extent and the great depth 

 of the fosse, could not be completed in the time at my disposal, although 

 the digging was in progress from April 11 to May 6 (exclusive of the 

 time occupied in filling-in that part of the vallum-cutting so far com- 

 pleted). The writer is therefore placed at considerable disadvantage 

 in arriving at any general conclusions, especially as very little of the 

 lower silting has yet been removed from the comparatively large area 

 of fosse which was under examination. For these reasons, this report 

 will comprise a description of the excavations and the finds generally, 

 the question of date and the comparison of this with previous work 

 being deferred until the two cuttings, or at any rate the important 

 fosse excavation, have been completely examined. 



A maximum number of sixteen men was employed, but we were generally 

 working with from twelve to fourteen ; one half of them had had previous 

 experience at the Avebury excavations either for one or more seasons. The 

 weather was remarkably fine except during the last day or two, but only an 

 hour was lost owing to heavy rain. 



Sectional diagrams of the fosse and vallum were made as the work pro- 

 ceeded, the position of the more important objects being clearly indicated. 

 Twenty-three satisfactory photographs (half-plate) were taken during the 

 season, and these, added to those taken between 1908 and 1913 (which number 

 86), not only show the progress and chief features of the excavations, but also 

 include general views, together forming a somewhat complete photographic 

 survey of Avebury. 



The reports already published ' on the excavations at Avebury deal 



chiefly with the investigations which were carried out in 1908, 1909, 



and 1911 ' in the S.S.W. fosse on Lord Avebury 's property. 



1 Brit. Assoc. Reports, 1908, pp. 400-413; 1909, pp. 271-284; and 1911, 

 pp. 141-152. 



^ The work of 1912 was confined to making the greater part of a survey-plan 

 of Avebury, which will be completed this year (scale 40 ft. to the inch). 



