362 
POULTON : DOWK EKBOTTOM CAVE. 
by a central hole, and ornamented with circles with dots in their 
centres. Gnawed bones were also found, the marks being caused, 
as far as I have observed, by a small rodent, probably the field- 
mouse. This animal is not mentioned as before found in the cave, 
but both in the black earth generally and especially in the pit, the 
number of teeth found is so great as to suggest the idea of the 
animal having been used for food. 
The chief implements or ornaments of metal are as follows 
They were all found in the pit or the black earth of the same age 
Two brouze brooches, one circular and one oblong, underneath both 
are traces of the hinge for the pin (and part of the pin in one case) 
and the catch ; two bronze rings one of which, not larger than a 
finger ring, is expansible ; an interesting iron pendant ornament 
with bronze bands on it ; one bronze needle ; iron nails are not 
uncommon, and lumps of iron of which the shapes do not indicate 
any use ; one fine iron bracelet was found, and portions of fibulae 
and rings ; there was also found a twisted piece of lead which 
may not be ancient, although the position, depth, and condition 
are in favour of this view ; it was found at a depth of 1 ft., close 
to a burrow containing rabbit bones of recent date ; two green- 
stained bones were found, and no bronze was near either of them 
to impart the color. Fragments of pottery are very abundant 
though never large : they consist of a coarse black ware, — 
sometimes with diagonal lines marked on it," cutting one another 
to form a diamond-shaped pattern, — and also of three kinds of red 
ware, among which Samian is the commonest. I believe that 
careful comparison of the pottery found, will shew a great differ- 
ence in the dates of occupancy of the cave although all the 
fragments came from one layer. In connexion with this is the 
fact that worked flint was found close to finely formed bronze and 
iron implements, evidently of Roman or post-Roman age. It is 
very probable that the bones will also indicate the same hetero- 
geneous origin of the layer in which they were found. Bones 
wore extremely common in the greyish layer, generally in excellent 
