410 



1pit=|^tcrt'ic Ittteimeitts vim Jovton, Milts. 



By E. A. Kawlence. 

 (Read at the Devizes Meeting of the Society, July 11th, 1903.) 



HAVE been asked to give an account of some excavations 

 which I made near Porton in 1897 and 1901. 

 About one mile south of Porton Station there is a large bell- 

 shaped barrow, situated on the east side of the L. and S. W. Line 

 in the hedge which divides the parishes of Gomeldon and Winter- 

 bourne Gunner. It is called the Horse Barrow on the Ordnance 

 Survey. It is doubtful whether it has ever been properly excavated, 

 but it has been partly removed, probably to obtain chalk for 

 making up the water-meadows. Near this, on the west side of 

 the line, is a field which, until recent years, was always ploughed, 

 but is now pasture. 



Passing in the train, I noticed during the extreme droughts of 

 the summers of 1895 and 1896 two brown rings in the grass, about 

 one yard wide. The outer ring was fully fifty yards in diameter, 

 and the inner one about twenty yards. There was also a brown 

 spot in the centre, indicating the interment. 



The surface of the field is perfectly level, affording no evidence 

 of any burial, and had not bad times compelled the farmer to lay 

 the field down to grass, probably this interment would never have 

 been discovered. This is the only instance I can recall of any 

 benefit having been derived from the agricultural depression. 



I obtained the consent of the owners, Miss Evans and Mrs. 

 Kennedy, to investigate the cause of these rings, and in conjunction 

 with Mr. Doran Webb excavated the ground. 



The rings were found to be formed of large picked flints, which, 

 becoming super-heated through the protracted drought, had 

 scorched up the herbage. 



So far as I can remember these flint circles were complete, and 



