ON THE AGE OP STONE CIRCLES. 177 



In 1909, as the termination of the S.S.W. portion of the fosse was 

 not located at Cutting III. (close up to the road-hedge), its exact position 

 evidently occurring under the present road into Avebury from Devizes 

 and Marlborough, small trial-cuttings (Nos. IV., V., VI., and VII.) 

 were made on the east side of the road and in proximity to the two 

 large standing stones of the great outer circle. This led to the discovery 

 of the southern entrance-causeway, the line of which is now repre- 

 sented by the small plantation of beech-trees on Major Jenner's pro- 

 perty and a small part of the grass-field on Lord Avebury 's land 

 between the beech-trees and the two large stones (the portals of the 

 entrance- way into the central area). 



This causeway has already been described in the 1911 Report, but 

 it will be desirable to repeat the chief features then revealed. As far 

 as the solid causeway could be examined (and the trees were a hindrance 

 to investigation), its ancient surface of solid chalk was reached at an 

 average depth of 17 ft. below the present surface, and found to be 

 about 24 ft. wide.' 



On the east side of the causeway the level of the solid chalk was 

 found to recede gradually as if sloping off to join the upper margin of 

 the end-wall of the S.S.E. fosse, and taking the form of rough, slight 

 ledges not very clearly defined. On the west side such obstacles as 

 the wooden fence, the bank and hedge, and the modern road itself 

 prevented any exact determination of the manner in which the S.S.W. 

 fosse finished and the causeway began. 



' The vallum now remaining nearest the causeway would appear 

 to have obstructed the entrance-way from the Kennet Avenue, but 

 this is not really so, for allowance must be made for the silting-down of 

 the material composing the vallum at its end, forming a talus, and 

 for the fact that other beech-trees have been planted in this position, 

 caused obstruction, and gathered round them a certain amount of 

 decayed vegetable matter ' (Report, 1909). 



The work of 1914 was confined to a very large excavation (Cutting 

 IX.) into the silting of the fosse on the east side and against the solid 

 chalk causeway, and a cutting (No. X.) through the greater part of the 

 S.S.E. vallum. The crest of the vallum in the position of the east 

 end of Cutting IX. is about 31'5 ft. higher than the surface of the 

 silting of the fosse, and the latter is 14 ft. below the central area (outer 

 circle). There is a decided berme between the fosse and vallum in 

 the position of the 1914 excavations.* 



II. General Observations on Cutting IX., through the S.S.E. 



Fosse, 1914. 

 The fosse excavation marked out for examination measured 44 ft. 

 in length, and the width was regulated by the line taken by the escarp 



' 24 ft. is the distance which exists between the two remaining standing- 

 stones of the great outer circle at the entrance to the central area. 



* This berme was noticed by the Eev. A. C. Smith in Guide to the Anti- 

 quities of the North Wiltshire Downs, 1st edit., 1884: 'The rampart for a 

 considerable portion of its circuit shows an apparent terrace or "berme " half- 

 way up its side, though this is in reality only the original level of the ground 

 upon which the excavated earth from the fosse was thrown up.' 



1915. N 



