REPORT OP MEETINGS FOR 1907 171 



a well, some 19 feet in depth, from which were recovered a quern 

 of Andernach lava quite complete, an almost perfect mortarium, 

 portions of amphorso, a copper kettle, and two spear-heads. 

 The clearing out of the Piaotorium also brought to light 

 some facts of importance. Alterations which had evidently 

 been made on the building suggested that it had been used 

 during at least two distinct periods. In the earlier of these 

 the building followed the normal type. Entering from the 

 Via Principalis was the outer court-yard, surrounded by an 

 ambulatory or cloistered walk. Further from the entrance 

 lay an inner court-yard, on the West side of which were 

 situated the usual five chambers. At a later date a vault 

 or strong room had been constructed beneath the floor of the 

 central chamber or Sacellum, and the levels of the court-yard 

 had been raised. At the same time the lii;^e of pillars on 

 the South side of the outer court was thrown forward, and 

 lastly, there was placed in front of the whole building a 

 large hall, which covered the Via Principalis, and extended 

 as far as the corners of the buttressed buildings immediately 

 on the North and South. The construction of such a strong 

 room in the Sacellum has been noted in other sites as an 

 addition made at a later period. The large hall thrown over 

 the Via Principalis may be seen in several of the plans of 

 the German Limes forts, although it does not appear to 

 have been mot with in any of the forts excavated in Britain. 

 Ciianges and alterations are frequently noted in the excavation 

 of Roman forts, and no part of the excavations has proved 

 more interesting than the tracing out stage by stage of those 

 changes in structures and defences which seem to indicate 

 successive occupations. Above the early fort of Agricola's 

 advance lies the larger and more strongly defended fort 

 surrounded by its triple line of ditches. Later it was cut 

 down in size and a third of its area abandoned ; later still 

 this area was once more re-occupied. In such changes we 

 may trace the ebb and flow of conquest across the Border, 

 of which History gives us only too slight an indication. To 

 the South of the Fort lies an annex extending beyond the 

 line of the North British Railway. It was here that in 

 the construction of the line in 1846 a cluster of curious pits 

 ^eye discovered, which were then believed to be the burial 



