46 
W. RANSOM—BRITISH AND ROMAN 
Many cart-loads of broken roofing, flooring, and flue-tiles, to¬ 
gether with faced flints, were thrown out in the rubbish from the 
excavation. 
The paint or fresco on the walls retained in places the colour as 
brightly as when first put on, and, while most of the ornamentation 
was in straight lines, there were some rude indescribable devices. 
In one case the wall, with the plaster uninjured, was within seven 
inches of the surface, which is still more remarkable, and proof of 
the excellent quality of the building-material, as the soil is wet, 
and the land has been tilled by the plough for ages. 
In addition to the articles already mentioned there were found 
in the debris, bone pins, a band for ladies’ hair, pieces of glass 
vessels of fine quality, window-glass and thick bottle-glass, iron 
nails, an iron gouge, a style for writing on wax, rubstones for 
sharpening knives, with oxide of iron still adhering, oyster-shells 
from the best natives (?), a key, pieces of bronze, and a pretty 
little bronze steel-yard for weighing small articles, perhaps the 
precious metals or medicines, similar to those now in use at markets 
stalls; also Upchurch ware from Kent, mortaria of white Lyons 
ware, and a curious perforated lid, which was probably the top of 
a scent-jar. Amongst the bones were also found, at the depth of 
three or more feet, a number of the pretty little spiral shells of 
Achatina acicula, which are frequently turned out where animals 
have been buried. This mollusc has a peculiar perception as to 
where its food lies, for its shells are occasionally found at a depth 
of 7 or 8 feet in human graves. 
From the extent of this villa and the substantial way in which 
it was built, there can be no doubt but that it was once the resi¬ 
dence of a person of some distinction, and was chosen for its salu¬ 
brious position. It is interesting to note its proximity to remarkably 
fine springs of water, welling up from the chalk. Good and clear 
water was a first consideration in choosing a site for a residence, 
and Yitruvius tells us that the ancients used to “ examine the 
livers of beasts which fed where they designed to build, which, if 
they found vitiated, they attributed it to bad water or pasturage, 
and concluded it would not fare better with themselves if they 
should settle there, as their own diet must be of those beasts, and 
they would be obliged to partake of the same water.” 
In addition to pure water, other luxuries attached to Roman 
villas were fishponds and places set apart for the breeding of snails 
and dormice, both of which are often mentioned in connection with 
Roman cookery. The places in which they were kept, called 
Cochlearia and Gliraria by Yarro, are thus described by him : “ A 
proper place in the open air is to be provided to preserve snails, 
which you must compass all round with water, that you may find 
those you put there to breed, as well as their young ones. I say 
they are to be encompassed by water, that they may have no oppor¬ 
tunity of escaping. The place may be made dewy by bringing in 
a pipe and fitting small cocks to it, which may eject the water so 
as to make it fall upon some stone and diffuse itself widely.” “ The 
