Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/182

164 horse a captive seated; in the exergue,. These objects were discovered a few years since on the apex of Shooters' Hill, Pangbourn, Berks, in making excavations for the Great Western Railway. At the same time and place were brought to light a variety of urns, coins, and spear-heads, together with nearly a hundred skeletons lying in rows in one direction. There was also discovered, Mr. Rose states, a structure resembling the foundations of a lime-kiln, about 30 feet in diameter, and 2 feet deep, composed of flints cemented with mortar of intense hardness; the interior contained a large quantity of charcoal and burnt human bones. It was remarked that an account of these discoveries, with a description of the skulls of the skeletons, was published by Dr. Allnatt, F.S.A., in the Medical Gazette.

Richard Sainthill, Esq., of Cork, forwarded a coloured drawing of an ancient punt or canoe with a descriptive letter from J. B. Gumbleton, Esq., of Fort William, near Lismore. Mr. Gumbleton writes, "The canoe was found on very high though boggy land, a few feet under the surface, on the lands of Coalowen, the estate of Richard Gumbleton, Esq. The river Bride is about a mile and the Blackwater river about two miles distant, but I do not think the canoe was ever on either. Its length is 16 feet 6 inches; breadth, 4 feet; depth inside, 1 foot 2 inches; depth outside, 2 feet. It is hollowed out from the solid timber with I should say the smallest and rudest axes; it seems also to bear marks of having been partly hollowed out by fire; there is no appearance of seats, or places for oars; the timber is oak, and so hard that a hatchet can make but little impression on it; there are four large holes, two at each end, the use of which I cannot guess. Its weight is I think about three tons."

John Adey Repton, Esq., F.S.A., exhibited a coloured drawing of various ornaments from some ancient tapestry in his possession, apparently of the time of Henry VIII.

Mr. C. R. Smith informed the Committee of the existence of the remains of some Roman buildings in the church-field at Snodland in Kent. About two years since, Mr. Smith having observed Roman tiles in the walls of the church, was induced to examine the neighbouring field with a view to ascertain whether these tiles might have been taken from Roman buildings in the immediate vicinity, as in several instances where Roman tiles compose in part the masonry of church walls, he had discovered indications of ancient habitations in the adjoining fields. He found the field in which the church of Snodland is situate, strewed in places with the tesseræ of Roman pavements, and fragments of roof and flue tiles, and pottery, and also observed in the bank of the field which overhangs the river Medway other evidences of buildings. During a recent visit to Snodland, Mr. Smith examined the latter more circumspectly, which he was better enabled to do from a part of the bank having foundered from the action of the water. The remains of the walls and flooring of a small room are now distinctly visible in the bank, at about six feet from the surface of the field. The walls, two feet thick, are composed of chalk and rag-stone; the pavement, of lime mixed with sand, small stones, and pounded tile. In continuing his search along the bank towards the east, Mr. Smith discovered the remains of other buildings, of one of which, part of a well-built wall of stone, with alternate layers of red and yellow tiles, is to be seen beneath the sedge and underwood with which the bank is covered. Mr. Smith hopes the attention of some of the members of the Association will be directed to these remains, with a view to effect a more complete investigation.