46 Prehistoric and Roman Swindon. 



building around the foundations of which were quantities of coarse 

 pottery, nearly all of which were fragments of large pots, probably 

 of local manufacture. Interspersed with these were a few fragments 

 of the usual finer wares, and one fine piece of a Gaulish bowl upon 

 which is a gryphon in relief. According to the British Museum 

 Catalogue of Roman Pottery it is of 2nd century date and made at 

 Lezoux (France) ; in shape it agrees with Form 37; the pattern 

 is there described as " a gryphon to right, a sea monster below 

 with three forked tail and coiled body, above; egg and tassel pattern 

 with zig-zag lines under it." The Swindon fragment is identical 

 except that the monster faces to left instead of to right, but as there 

 remains the tail and one hind leg of another facing to right the 

 patterns agree. 1 The work of excavation ceased after exposing 

 the edge of the site, but it is hoped that it will be resumed at an 

 early date, when, from indications so far observed, a Roman pot 

 works will probably be uncovered. 



For some years it has been noticed that in nearly all excavations 

 in new ground in a zone starting from Wood Street and roughly 

 following Devizes Eoad, at the end of which two streams divide, 

 one ending at Winnifred Street, the other dying out towards 

 Westlecote, there are found large quantities of human remains. 

 Although nearly a hundred skeletons have now been examined at 

 different times, nothing has yet turned up by which the date of 

 the interments can be ascertained. Some are dolichocephalic in 

 cranial measurements, while others close by are of an opposite 

 shape. Some at the Westlecote end are certainly Roman, being 

 buried in rubbish pits of that age and others in shallow graves with 

 datable pottery. As regards the remainder there is as yet no 

 evidence of date. 



In studying the early interments described above accompanied 

 by characteristic pottery, it should not be forgotten that at Broom, 

 practically on a part of Swindon Hill, once stood the row of large 

 standing stones described by Aubrey, 2 and at Coate, a little further 



1 Mrs. Cunnington has kindly supplied this information. . 

 2 Jackson' Aubrey, p. 193. 



