Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/177

Rh of the Romans,) and on one of the most elevated spots in the vicinity, as the progress of land draining was proceeding, the workmen stumbled frequently upon what they called pieces of old platters, and bits of old glass, but which the eye of an antiquary would at once detect to be fragments of Romano-British funeral utensils; unfortunately these peasants had no one at hand at the time to instruct them better, or to save from farther mutilation those relics which time and accident had dealt too rudely with already. The rising and elevated ground which formed the place of deposit of the articles just alluded to, is, on three sides, a rather steep slope, and on the west side, the natural connection with the adjacent hills is interrupted by a gully, now a lane, with a wooded slope next to the ground in question, and which lane, it is within the bounds of possibility, may have been the ditch or defence from that side, the ground being sufficiently elevated to have formed some protection on the other three sides. The following articles, numbered from one to fifteen inclusive, were all found together, and not more than two feet from the surface, and from the occurrence of iron hinges, and part of a hasp, or what may be supposed to have been a fastening, the conclusion to be drawn is, that they were buried in a box, not an uncommon custom among the Romans, for there were evident traces that those beautiful vases found in the Bartlow tumuli were enclosed in a box. The vessel marked No. 1 is a glass bottle, 3$1⁄2$ inches high, of the class to which the term lacrymatory is given. 2. A vessel much broken and rudely mended, of square shape, and of tolerably thick green glass, with a small neck, and an elegant striated handle, in size six inches high, and about four inches square at bottom. 3. Part of a cinerary urn, of which there are several other pieces; some of those belonging to the middle part are slightly ornamented; it must have been of large size. 4. Small portion of a mortuary urn, of coarse manufacture, and light-coloured earth; this urn the workmen say was upside down, and contained burned bones, &c., but was so fragile that only a small part of it could be got out. 5. Small patera of red or Samian ware, of elegant shape, and foliage or the lotus-leaf running round its edge, and but little more than three inches over. 6. Plain unornamented patera of highly glazed Samian ware, originally with handles, which are broken off, size 6$1⁄2$ inches over, 1$1⁄2$ inch deep. 7. Large simpulum of red Samian pottery, with the ivy-leaf running round its edge, nine inches over, of elegant shape, but defaced. 8. Wide mouth or rim of a small vessel of nearly colourless glass, which from the remnants must have been unornamented, and small at the bottom and very much bulged or protuberant at the sides. 9. Iron lamp-holder, generally considered to be the stand in which the earthen lamp stood, no vestige of which lamp could be discovered. 10. Part of a spear-head, of iron, barbed on one side. 11. Shaft of the above, or another. 12. Pair of rude iron hinges, one of which is perfect and acting. 13. Parts of an iron staple and hasp, probably the fastenings of a box. 14. Pieces of lead, one of which looks as if it had been folded round something. 15. Six bronze ornaments, of tolerable workmanship, with iron rivets