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bones of a very large man. He had 10 wounds in his head with, one that had not 
healed. Another set of bones were those of a woman with golden hair which 
disintegrated on exposure to air. These bones are thought to be those of Arthur 
and Guinevere, both reputed to be buried in the grounds of Glastonbury 
Abbey. Legend also has it that Joseph of Arimathea with 11 others headed a 
mission sent from Gaul by St. Philip to this country, bringing with him the Holy 
Grail. The first Christian settlement was a circle of 12 huts and the Holy Grail 
was allegedly placed in the spring now known as the Chalice Well where the first 
Christian baptisms took place. 
The known history of this Benedictine Abbey begins with the early Saxon 
chapel of wattle and daub on the site where now stands the Norman Lady Chapel. 
The first Abbey was built by Henry de Blois, nephew of Henry I. This was com- 
pletely devastated by fire in 1184 and was rebuilt by Henry II and rededicated in 
1303. The Monks, after reclaiming the marshes and employing laymen for 
farming, became very wealthy. The Abbey was dissolved and wantonly destroyed 
in 1539, and the Abbot executed on the Tor. Due to the efforts of antiquarians 
and archaeologists and all who have contributed to its partial reconstruction it is 
now possible to visualise the grace and splendour of the original structure. The 
celebrated Glastonbury Thorn which blooms in May and also at Christmas stands 
in the grounds of the Abbey. Plants grown from the haws of this thorn do not 
retain the characteristics of the parent stem and can only be propagated by grafting 
or budding upon other roots. This thorn was common in Palestine. Although 
alleged to be the staff of Joseph which flowered when he struck the ground, it is 
more likely to have been introduced by Crusaders. 
The second Field Meeting to Forde Abbey and Gardens was of great interest. 
Originally a Cistercian Monastery, it passed into private ownership after the 
Dissolution when much in the way of restoration and reconstruction was effected. 
The Staircase attributed to Inigo Jones, the Refectory with its 15th century collar- 
beamed roof, the Cloisters and the splendid Tapestries are all worthy of note. The 
Gardens, especially in the Spring, are of great beauty, the landscape being partly 
natural and partly artificial, with herbaceous borders and shrubs of azalea and 
rhododendron mingling with ancient firs and cedars. 
All the Lectures and Field Meetings were well attended and the Chairman 
once again wishes to thank all who have contributed by their interest and support 
to their success. 
C. Simpson 
THE DAWN OF CIVILISATION 
PRIMITIVE MAN AND HIS FOOD PLANTS 
Abstract of a Lecture by E. Chambers, f.l.s. on 18th November 
Man's first needs v/ere food, shelter and clothing, so his slow ascent to 
civilised life was bound up with plants and their utilisation. Primitive Man was 
a "hunted" rather than a "hunter" and made up for his weak physique by his 
cunning mind and an adposable thumb which allowed grip of a weapon and 
accurate stone-throwing. 
When the descendant of Proconsul emerged from the forests where he had 
shared with other Primates the natural fruits of Palms, Breadfruit, Nuts, Banana, 
Mango, etc. when available and edible roots and tubers, he found in more open 
spaces many edible seeds and fruits. Articulate speech allowed co-operation in 
bands and he probably ousted baboons from their hills and started a new mode 
of existence. The discovery of cooked flesh from bush fires led to controlled use 
of fire in food preparation and the budding intelligence of genus Homo applied 
itself to the selection of its "daily bread" — animal and vegetable, On the hills 
which were the first strongholds of Man the likeliest first source of food was 
Quinoa and other members of the Chenopodium family growing on the poorest 
ground, easily collected and bruised into a porridge or eaten raw or dried. 
Species were plentiful from E. Africa to India. Even the true Primitive Man 
would notice in time that the Quinoa was better in some places than others and 
hence came the first conservation, not agriculture but protection. 
Having left the barren hillocks Man found on better ground members of the 
Sorghum genus. On verges and coppiced glades these were wild crops but when 
conserved they would hybridise into such forms as Broom Corn and Kaffir Corn. 
