588 On some Bronze Age Pottery of " Food Vessel " Type. 



statement is proved to be correct from the fact that the finger bones 

 pointed to the north-east, and were in such a position as to indicate 

 that the skeleton was lying on its right side. The base of the 

 vessel is irregularly flat, and judging from a careful examination 

 of the numerous small fragments it must have been of the shape 

 and size of a small pudding basin with a projecting ridge 12mm. to 

 16mm. below the lip. It is ornamented in a not uncommon way 

 by a thin piece of wood or bone 4|mm. wide, which has been pressed 

 into the wet clay before firing in such a way that it made a mark 

 leaning to the right. The impressions were continued at irregular 

 intervals horizontally round the lip, while immediately below 

 another line was started in a similar manner, but with the marks 

 leaning to the left, and so on alternately till the greater part of 

 the upper portion was covered. (Fig. II.) 



Fig. II. Pottery from interment at Smeeth Ridge, Ogbourne St. Andrew. 

 No doubt it remains true that Wiltshire is one of those areas in 

 which the " Drinking Cup " is found accompanying early Bronze 

 Age interments, as distinguished from the vessel known technically 

 as a " Food Vessel," and that no well defined example of the latter 

 has yet been found within the borders of .the county; but I would 

 suggest that the rude vessels described above and others like them 

 were really used for the purpose of containing food (as were also 

 the " Drinking Cups "), and that they take the place here of the 

 elaborately ornamented "Food Vessel" of the northern counties. 



