On the Excavations at Rotherley, Woodcuts, and BoTcerly Dyke, 311 



the same people, though perhaps at an earlier date. More than 

 this cannot at the present time be affirmed with confidence. It 

 would be desirable to excavate on Blagdon Hill, especially at the 

 point where the branch line (also called on the Ordnance Map 

 " Bokerly Dyke ") joins it, or perhaps only cuts across it. One 

 point, before leaving the dyke, I may notice, viz., that the irregu- 

 larity of its line, which has been commented upon by previous 

 writers, may, perhaps, be owing to the intermittent renewal of the 

 old escarp by the construction of a second ditch, at the time that 

 the Fore Dyke was made. It was seen that the double ditch was 

 not found everywhere. In some places the old escarp may have been 

 found steep and firm enough, and then the second ditch would not 

 be dug, in others it was found necessary to dig back to secure a hard 

 wall of chalk for the defence, and, by this means, irregularities may 

 have been produced which were not in the original construction. 



Time forbids me to proceed further with this enquiry for the 

 present, and for the same reason many more or less interesting details 

 have been omitted, all of which will appear in the third volume of 

 the account of my excavations. I trust I have succeeded in con- 

 vincing those who have done me the compliment of following me, 

 that excavations afford a sure and effectual means of ascertaining 

 the date, within certain limits, of the most extensive earthworks, 

 and that, even when a series of alterations may have taken place in 

 them, from time to time, their continuous history may, nevertheless, 

 be unravelled by means of the pick and shovel. I had intended 

 saying a few words on the prospect which these researches hold out 

 of ultimately clearing up the history of Wansdyke, but after having 

 taxed your patience to so great an extent I fear that I must postpone 

 the consideration of that question until a future occasion. 1 



A diagram and model of the excavations made by me in Wansdyke 

 near Shepherds Shore was exhibited. 



The address was illustrated by thirteen diagrams and nine models. 



1 The excavation of Wansdyke at Brown's Barn was made after the Meeting 

 of the Society at Devizes. It resulted in proving by means of Samian pottery 

 found in the rampart that the whole work was Roman, or post-Roman, but as no 

 coins were found, its date could not be determined with the same certainty as 

 that of Bokerly. The account of it will be given hereafter. 



