Archceologia. 149 



of excavations into a very large tumulus at Thruxton, by the direc- 

 tions of the Rev. Archer Clive, of Whitfield, on whose estate it 

 stands. Thruxton is a village about eight miles to the south-west 

 of Hereford. The tumulus resembles the larger monument of the 

 same class at St. Weonard's, farther to the south of Hereford, 

 which was opened a few years ago under the direction of Mr. T. 

 Wright, and an account of which will be found in the first volume 

 of his "Essays on Archaeological Subjects." Mr. Wright was at 

 Thruxton two or three days before the meeting, after the men had 

 been set to work excavating, and gave some directions, or sugges- 

 tions, which seem to have been followed ; but the examination has 

 evidently been as yet very imperfect. There appears to have been 

 in the centre of the mound a small dome of stones, which covered a 

 mass of ashes, the result of the cremation of the dead body, just 

 the same as was found to be the case in the great barrow at St. 

 Weonard's. One or two pieces of pottery, Roman in character ; 

 parts of an iron horseshoe ; and a portion of a glass vessel — the 

 latter very improperly carried away by some accidental visitor — 

 were among the remains found, in the tumulus. It is to be hoped 

 that whoever has the glass will immediately restore it, as it may be 

 of very great importance in establishing the true character of the 

 monument. All the evidence yet obtained leads us to believe that 

 it belongs to the Roman period, and points to its identity of cha- 

 racter with the tumulus at St. Weonard's, and several other large 

 tumuli on this border. This at Thruxton, like many of the others, 

 stands very near the parish church. This circumstance admits of 

 an easy explanation. These barrows were, no doubt, in early times, 

 looked upon with a large amount of superstitious veneration by the 

 population of the neighbourhood, and people probably assembled 

 at them at different periods. The early Christian missionaries 

 sought to turn these assemblages of people to account by erecting 

 their church near to the tumulus, and so draw the attention of the 

 people assembled there to their preaching. 



We are very glad to be able to announce that the excavations 

 at Wroxeter, on the site of the Roman City of Uriconium, are re- 

 commenced. We owe this chiefly to the munificent liberality of 

 Joseph Mayer, of Liverpool, who recently made a very handsome 

 contribution of £50 to the excavation funds. It is to be hoped 

 that others will follow his example, and that the good work will 

 not again meet with so long an interruption ; though it will never 

 be carried to the extent which the history of our country requires, 

 until the Government itself steps forward to supply sufficient funds. 

 Through a mistake in the first measuring out of the laud which the 

 Duke of Cleveland granted for excavating, the greater part of the 

 line of the Old Wall, or the wall which divided the Basilica from 

 the Baths and other buildings to the south, was left out of the 

 limits ; the consequence of which was that some important build- 

 ings could not be explored in a satisfactory manner. This has now 

 been remedied, and a large room has been opened, which fronted 

 the Forum, and adjoined the room which has been called the ena- 

 meller's shop. The portion of this room yet uncovered is of small 



