Page:Roman Manchester (1900) by Charles Roeder.djvu/100

 We may conclude, therefore, that Mancunium was inhabited by some little local clans or offshoots of the south-west Brigantes scattered along the heights of the river courses of the Irk, Medlock, Mersey, Irwell, Roche, and the Tame.

The Britons who dwelled in our locality were Brythonic Brigantes; the Segantii, also probably of the same blood, lived far away at the west coast of Lancashire, in the Fylde, &c., separated from our centre by dense stretches of scrub, forest, and swampy, miry heaths and mosses, with difficult tracks to traverse, while the Cornavii were confined to the southern banks of the Mersey.

I come now to the finds in the black pit or pool. It measured 4½ feet across and 5 inches to 6 inches in depth, and was discovered near the margin of the fosse or swamp. In consequence of aqueous fermentation and subsequent pressure, the vegetable matter of which it is composed had assumed the appearance of compressed and lamellated peat. I had the contents of the pit conveyed home for closer examination, and found it mixed with white sand grains and fairly-sized rounded stones, and little square pieces of sandstone, the latter mostly blackened by the action of fire. This little pit seems to have served for the deposit of rubbish.

It contained matted layers of roots, stems, bark, and wood. Some of the branches showed the sharp edge of the knife or hatchet, some of the wood-chippings were charred on one end. The bits of sandstone flags and