44 Prehistoric and Roman Swindon. 



before, but of different and somewhat uncommon ornamentation, 

 the whole surface, with the exception of a narrow band of incised 

 vertical lines round the top, being covered by triangular panels, 

 confined by narrow plain bands, the panels themselves being filled 

 with carelessly-executed lines impressed on the wet clay, some 

 with a notched tool and others scored with a pointed tool. The 

 fragments are too small to allow of an accurate judgment of the 

 size of the cup, but it was probably about 8in. high and of a 

 large diameter in proportion to its height {Fig. 3). 



It is remarkable that all these interments should have been of 

 young individuals, one of tender age and the other two certainly 

 under 20 years. The question as to whether these remains were 

 covered by tumuli or not must remain unanswered as the field 

 before quarrying operations were commenced (according to Mr. 

 Humphreys, of Okus Farm,) was ploughed, and a famous ground 

 for barley. Observations taken on the spot and from a distance, 

 however, show no appreciable thickening of the soil at or near the 

 site of the burials. A point of interest in connection with these 

 interments is that the sand of Swindon Hill has certainly not that 

 destructive effect on human bones buried in it which is often at- 

 tributed to the sands of other localities by excavators ; the bones 

 here are hard and brittle, with only a small amount of decay. 



The eastern part of this quarry (Okus) has from time to time 

 produced several relics, of apparently late Celtic times, chief 

 amongst which is a set of chalk loom-weights, found together in a 

 hole in the sand. They were unfortunately scattered, but one 

 afterwards recovered is roughly oblong in outline, the same in 

 section, 7|in. long, 4in. wide and 2^in. thick. It is perforated at 

 the slightly smaller end, the centre of the orifice being l£in. from 

 the top, the interior of the perforation is flu. in diameter/increasing 

 towards each end to fin. on one side and fin. on the other. The 

 weight is exactly 3£lbs. These weights were used on primitive 

 looms to keep the warp threads taut. 



The Roman house on the opposite (southern) slope of the hill 

 has been before described and illustrated. 1 Further quarrying 

 1 Wilts Arch. Mag., xxx., 217. 



