250 



Recent Explorations at Silbury Hill. 



and it would be a matter of much interest to ascertain whether the 

 base of the Marlborough mound had been originally surrounded by 

 a deep trench, in depth so far below the level of the Kennet as to 

 have always contained water. This could be ascertained by sinking 

 some shafts there. 



^ In the course of these explorations an unexpected and interesting 

 discovery was made, which throws light on the date of the erection 

 of the mound. In shaft No. 5, after passing through 9ft. of white 

 alluvial clay, the men came to a distinct blackish layer about a foot 

 in thickness, consisting of the usual tenacious clay, with a large 

 admixture of charcoal, fractured flints, bones, and small burnt sarsen 

 stones, all evident indications of human occupation. The whole of 

 this layer I had carefully set aside, and then washed it in water 

 through a sieve. By this means all the clay was separated, and the 

 residue was then carefully examined for traces of human workman- 

 ship. Besides many other flints, one well-worked/^ implemed 

 rewarded this search (see plate). Also in another shaft (No. 6) 

 flint flakes were found in the alluvium. These flints I sent to the 

 great authority upon flint implements— Mr. John Evans, D.C.L., 

 P.S.A., who kindly examined them, and wrote as follows :— " The 

 flints from No. 5 shaft are, 1 think, all artificial. One, which is 

 very well wrought, may be either an unfinished arrow-head, as you 

 suggest, or a small knife such as is sometimes found in the inter- 

 ments in barrows. The flakes are probably the waste pieces from 

 chipping out some large tools, though some of them have been used 

 as instruments for cutting and scraping. The evidence you have 

 obtained shows that flint has been in use, since Silbury Hill was 

 formed, for cutting instruments, for I think that the knife or arrow- 

 head from shaft No. 5 must be accepted as probably not later than 

 the Bronze Period, to which most of our flint arrow-heads belong"; 

 and further:— "I think that any doubt that may have existed as 

 to the mound being pre-Roman may now be dispelled." 



These finds reveal the important fact, that long after Silbury Hill 

 had been erected, the neighbourhood was inhabited or visited by a 

 people who made and used flint weapons. The date was so long 

 after the formation of this mound that not less thitn 5ft. of alluvium 



