256 



The Roman Villa at Box. 



This also seems to have had buttresses, as the commencement 

 of one in line with the south end was found. 



In this chamber, in 1898, was found in made ground a large 

 stone retaining the middle portion of a well-carved standing figure 

 in a niche, apparently representing a man returning from the 

 chase, having a hare hanging over one shoulder and a bird over 



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the other. 



Chamber XXIV. formed the northern part of the rebuilt passage 

 which was found separated from chamber XXIII. by a wall 

 standing some three feet in height. This wall was apparently a 

 later work, after the passage was disused, and may have formed 

 part of an alteration whereby the chambers XXIII. and XXIV. 

 were made into separate and wider rooms, as it crosses the old 

 west wall of the first passage as though joining up to the main 

 wall of the added apartments. 



Chambers XXV., XXVII., and XXVIII. were apparently in 

 the first place all part of a passage exterior to the northern range 

 of chambers. 



The northern wall was plastered throughout its length externally, 

 showing that the ground outside must have been at a considerable 

 depth below the Hoor-levels of the villa. 



Inside chambers XXV. and XXVII. near the south wall was 

 found an immense quantity of small pieces of painted plaster at a 

 depth of 3 feet below the floor-level. 



Towards the eastern end of the first chamber six hypocaust 

 pillars were found similar to those in chamber X. They may 

 have been the identical pillars met with in 1833. This chamber 

 at that time had a pavement, " but in a state of destruction." 



Chamber XXVI. with XXV. formed one apartment of the later 

 addition already described. 



The inside face of the apse remained for 11 J feet on the east 

 side and 5 feet on the west. 



