326 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



The Age of Stone Circles. — Report of Committee (Sir C. H. Eead, 

 Chairman; Mr. H. Balfoue, Secretary; Dr. G. A. Auden, 

 Professor Sir W. Eidgeway, Dr. J. G. Garson, Sir Arthur 

 Evans, Sir W. Boyd Dawkins, Professor J. L. Myres, and Mr. 

 H. Peake) appointed, to conduct explorations with the object of 

 ascertaining the Age of Stone Circles. Drawn up by the Secretary. 



The work of the Committee this year has been twofold. In the first place, 

 the grant of 30/. from the British Association has been expended in filling in 

 and making good the area excavated at Avebr.ry in 1914 and during the present 

 year. This reconstruction work has been duly carried out to the satisfaction 

 of the owner, Mr. J. Peak-Garland. When the disturbed ground has completely 

 settled down it will be necessary to do some final making good, but the small 

 balance still in hand should cover the expenses involved. It is essential that 

 this balance may be available for the purj^ose, as some time must elapse before 

 the extent of the inevitable shrinkage is known. 



In the second place, as there was a sum of money available from private 

 subscriptions for purposes of renewed excavations on the site, the Committee 

 decided to extend the excavations, begun in 1914, in the fosse to the east 

 of the Kennet causeway, it being considered that this would be likely to yield 

 the most profitalile results, and that concentration upon this spot would have 

 the advantage of facilitating and rendering less costly the filling in both of 

 the old and the new excavations. The Committee, furtlier, desired to measure 

 the amount of silting accumulated in the fosse since 1914 in that portion which 

 had been completely dug out in that year. It was thought that an idea could 

 be gained as to the rate at which the original silting must have accumulated 

 in the first few years of the monument's history. For reasons mentioned in 

 Mr. Gray's detailed report, it was impossible to arrive at an accurate estimate 

 on this point. At the same time, it was rendered evident that the chalk tahii 

 derived from the very steep sides of the fosse, freshly exposed in 1914, had 

 accumulated very rapidly, and it can be inferred that objects dropped upon 

 the original bottom-surface of the fosse must have been covered over and 

 buried in the silting almost at once, and. consequently, that objects recovered 

 from the lowest undisturbed layers of silt must l)e practically contemporaneous 

 with the original formation of the fosse. 



As in former years, JNIr. H. St. G. Gray was employed by the Committee 

 to act as overseer on their behalf, and to arrange for and carry out the work 

 determined upon. Instructions were given to him as to the principal objectives, 

 and he has carried out the operations in a very thorougii and Ijusinesslike 

 manner. 



Incidentally, the excavations revealed a very pronounced variation in the 

 level of the original bottom of the fosse in the area examined. Tiiis important 

 feature, combined with other evidence, makes it clear that the fosse was not 

 flooded, to serve as a moat, as has been suggested. 



In spite of the regrettable paucity of important 'finds.' the net result of 

 this year's excavations is to confirm the opinion arrived at from the Committee's 

 former explorations at Avebury. and also at Arbor Low (1901-2) and the Stripple 

 Stones (1906), and it may with increased confidence lie urged that the great 

 monument at Avebury was proliably constructed during the later phases of the 

 Neolithic period. 



A consideraV)le number of archseologists and others visited the excavations, 

 which aroused much interest. The Secretary to the Committee stayed at 

 Avebury for several days while the work was in progress. 



_ It is hoped that the results of all the excavations undertaken by the Com- 

 mittee and carried out by Mr. Gray may eventually be brought together and 

 published in book form, and that they may thus be made available to archseolo- 

 gists and others interested in our megalithic monuments. In view of this the 

 Committee ask to be reappointed, but do not apply for a fresh grant. 



