Archaeologia cantiana . age cesspit of the city, was in theDungeon or Dane-John Grounds. The neighbourhood of theRiding Gate had, in Roman times, been upon a lower level than therest of the city. Mr. Pilbrow says, The old road evidently dippedtowards the Riding Gate, before arriving at which there was foundrough pebble pitching, at 3 feet deep : under this there was a greatdepth of black vegetable mould, at 14 feet, in which was found aRoman silver spoon [of which he gives an engraving], some blackvases containing burnt bones or ashes, and boars tusks. Outsidethe Riding Gate he found remains o
Archaeologia cantiana . age cesspit of the city, was in theDungeon or Dane-John Grounds. The neighbourhood of theRiding Gate had, in Roman times, been upon a lower level than therest of the city. Mr. Pilbrow says, The old road evidently dippedtowards the Riding Gate, before arriving at which there was foundrough pebble pitching, at 3 feet deep : under this there was a greatdepth of black vegetable mould, at 14 feet, in which was found aRoman silver spoon [of which he gives an engraving], some blackvases containing burnt bones or ashes, and boars tusks. Outsidethe Riding Gate he found remains of the piers which carried a draw-bridge over the waterway. Their tops were 5 feet below the presentsurface, and the pier nearest to the gate was 32 feet distant from itsouter face. At 18 feet below the present surface the base of thewall-pier had not been reached. This shews how extremely low, inearly times, was the level of firm ground outside Riding Gate. Themost remarkable discovery, however, was made about 185 yards. INDEX TO MR. PILBBOW*S PLAN. 347 east of the Gate. There Mr. Pilbrow found the first of four walls(of flint concrete and mortar), 18 inches thick, running across theOld Dover Road, 9 feet below the surface. These walls were 40 feetapart. Above them loam deposited by water had accumulated forso long a period that it was several feet thick. Mr. Pilbrow, seeingthis virgin soil, lying in its original layers, which had never beendisturbed, was astounded to find the work of human hands beneathit, in the walls above mentioned. Nothing could give a more vividpicture of the watery nature of this site in the early part of theRoman occupation. These facts have never been duly estimated and examined, indiscussions respecting the Dane-John Mound and Riding G-ate, aspart of the early boundaries of the city. They undoubtedly con-firm Mr. Clarks supposition that the Dane-John was a MoatedMound. Whether they can be made useful in fixing its date is notso clear. MR. SCOTT ROBERT
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