BY THE EEV. DE. HOOPPELL. 137 



Roman city at South Shields was held by the Eoman-Britons for 

 a time at least after their protectors withdrew to the Continent. 

 Not the least interesting of the results of the exploration are 

 the evidences of subsequent occupation revealed by the excava- 

 tions. All round the Station, within the ramparts, there run 

 paved causeways, several feet above the Eoman level, made, in 

 one case at least, upon the very walls of one of the noblest build- 

 ings the fortress contained, the temple or basilica last mentioned. 

 These paved causeways have all the appearance of streets, of some 

 town, built, perhaps mainly of wood, above the ruins of the old 

 Roman city. In the case of the one which runs along the west 

 wall of the building, near the western rampart, its bed is made 

 of smooth stones from the neighbouring shore, and with such 

 stones the chamber I have already described in the south-west 

 angle of the building was also filled. The final destruction of 

 the town was evidently by fire. Above the level of these paved 

 causeways, throughout the whole area of the Station, is a sheet 

 of ashes. Mingled with the charcoal of joists and rafters are 

 fragments of roofing tiles. The author quoted by Leland says, 

 Caer TJrfa was burned by the Danes. The causeways may belong 

 to the age of the early Saxons, who we are also told called the 

 fortress Burgh. The only circumstance wanting to confirm the 

 tradition that the Saxons occupied it is the finding of Saxon 

 coins. As far as I am aware, no Saxon coins have yet been dis- 

 covered. But there are plain proofs that the Lawe was resorted 

 to for some purposes or other, most probably religious or judicial, 

 or both, at no great distance of time after its final destruction as 

 a city. Por in all parts of it subsequent erections have been dis- 

 covered. Some of these took the form of simple stone walls, built 

 without mortar. But two were far more curious. In the forum, 

 towards the eastern end, a table altar, already alluded to, (See 

 Plates YI., YII.), was found most perfect. It was composed of 

 two stones, one long and narrow set upright as a pillar, the other 

 broad and flat, poised on the pedestal. The latter has a shallow 

 mortice in which to receive the head of the pedestal, and both it 

 and the pedestal were covered all over with a thin fine white 

 plaster like plaster of Paris. Round this remarkable erection, on 



