90 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
length, bent over at the top, and chiefly made of alder. In con¬ 
nection with this are large oak beams having mortice 
holes filled with oak piles. The timber brushwood of 
this platform now only averages about eighteen inches in depth, 
but originally it must have been much thicker, as it is decayed 
and pressed together. On the platform circular mounds of clay 
were placed ; these consist of layers, one above the other, with 
intervening thin layers of decayed wood and charcoal. The 
number of layers vary from two to five, and they are from six 
inches to about two feet in thickness at the centre, gradually 
thinning out towards the edge. Each layer of clay, with another 
of charcoal and wood, represents the distinct floor of a dwelling. 
In the centre of a mound are found the remains of rude hearths : 
as a rule there is one for each layer of clay. They are sometimes 
composed of a few rough slabs of stones, but more frequently the 
fires appear to have been made on the bare clav. 
Of the dwellings themselves there is nothing left to tell us of 
their size or shape, but there is evidence of their having been 
constructed of wattle and split timber, the crevices between the 
wood being filled up with clay. A quantity of this clay has been 
dug up with the wattle or timber marks on one side, and very 
distinct impressions of the fingers that had pressed it into posi¬ 
tion, on tne other. The clay was probably baked hard when the 
huts were destroyed by fire, the obvious fate of many of them. 
As far as it is known at present, the village was Pre-Roman, as 
nothing has been found which shows traces of Roman influence ; 
and it was probably occupied during the Celtic Period. The 
objects dug up have been numerous and extremely interesting, 
and are all on view in the Glastonbury Museum. Of pottery their 
are many fragments, some of which have been partially recon¬ 
structed, and I believe one vessel has been completely restored. 
This pottery is of a coarse hard make, and of dark colour, but 
some of the finer and belter made pieces bear incised patterns 
showing some slight artistic skill and taste. 
Of metal objects the bronze are the most important, including a 
fine bowl of some five inches in diameter, and nearly that in 
height. This bowl was cracked, and stewed traces of having been 
rivetted together. Two finger rings and five fibulae or brooches, 
one or two of the latter are very similiar to our modern safety 
pins, and are beautifully made. Many spindle whorls and looms 
show that weaving and spinning were both carried on to no small 
extent. Some of the needles used (all made of bone), part of a 
shuttle, and combs for carding wool have also been found. 
No weapons have been discovered, excepting what might have 
been an iron spear head, probably used in the chase, as the bones 
of both the wild deer and boar are plentiful. A number of small 
pellets or sling stones of baked clay, the size of a small hen’s egg ; 
show that wild fowl abounded, and were obtained for food. There 
