Archaeologia cantiana . writer been recently madeacquainted with the discoveries. He is much indebted toMr. Pidduck for kindly assisting in collecting the necessaryinformation, for the gift of some of the vessels exhumed,and especially for supplying him with a manuscript accountof the discoveries, in the handwriting of the late JohnBrent, , of which the following is a copy, with a fewslight additions. A discovery of Roman remains was made in the summerof 1881 at Oaklands (Babsoak), Somers Hill, Westbere, onthe property of W. G. Pidduck, Esq. Under the stool of anold oak-tree was found, l
Archaeologia cantiana . writer been recently madeacquainted with the discoveries. He is much indebted toMr. Pidduck for kindly assisting in collecting the necessaryinformation, for the gift of some of the vessels exhumed,and especially for supplying him with a manuscript accountof the discoveries, in the handwriting of the late JohnBrent, , of which the following is a copy, with a fewslight additions. A discovery of Roman remains was made in the summerof 1881 at Oaklands (Babsoak), Somers Hill, Westbere, onthe property of W. G. Pidduck, Esq. Under the stool of anold oak-tree was found, lying at a depth of about three feetfrom the surface, a large cinerary urn, containing aboutone gallon of burnt human bones; the urn is nearly twelveinches in height and about nine inches in diameter. In acircle of about four feet were five other vessels, a Samianpatera, a small black olla, a vase of reddish clay, andanother vessel which was broken by the workmen. Thefragments of a much larger vessel, perhaps of the kind. ROMAN CEMETERY DISCOVERED AT WESTBERE. 319 called dolia, lying near the large urn previously mentioned,suggest that it was the receptacle in which the cineraryurn had been preserved. It was not an uncommon practicefor the Romans to enclose a vessel of glass., or of pottery,containing the ashes of the dead, in some larger cist,either of stone, lead, or clay. In the locality whence theremains as described were taken, many previous discoveries,extending over thirty acres of ground, manifest that it hadbeen the site, not only of Roman, but of British or Celticinterments. Since the above was written two more finds have beenmade on the Somers Hill property. The first consisted of aflat black patera, composed of rather fragile material, as ifnot sufficiently hardened in the baking, yet of decided Romancharacter; it was found inverted over a small heap of calcinedhuman bones, chiefly those of the skull, upon which hadbeen placed a bronze harp-shaped fibula. The second
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