XVIII.
should be carried out. Meanwhile the facts of the
existence of the ruins, of their material, and of their
present level are of great importance, as bearing on
the recency of the last submergence, and the question
arises whether the "salting mounds" are not of an-
terior date to that submergence. If they were above
high water at first (and the fires seem to prove this)
and are now accessible by spring-tides, a sinking of
five feet at least is implied. Reasons for supposing
that a slow subsidence is in progress at the present
time, have been given on a previous page.
The pottery throws but little light on the subject,
and that of a contradictory character. The greater
number of the fragments consist of coarse pottery,
mostly an inch thick, red externally, but black within.
Some of the pieces are very full of impressions of
grass (Enteromorpha) having evidently been held to-
gether thereby during the baking. One piece belonged
to a vessel at least two feet in diameter. All is of the
coarsest hand manufacture, none of the pieces showing
a trace of the wheel; in fact, all the pottery is ruder
and rougher than the earliest known British urns.
There is some black earthenware of very rough make,
which was apparently nearly half grass before burning.
There are many pieces of wedge-shaped tile or brick
of finer material, apparently made in a mould, and
well burnt, red throughout. They are about five-
eighths of an inch square at the small end, and
increase to two and a-half inches by one and one-
eighth, but none perfect at the thick end have been
found. A few are of yellowish mixed clay.
In opposition to these we have the fragments of
Roman turned ware, previously mentioned, but pos-
sibly their occurrence was accidental.
It is to be hoped that some day a more complete
and thorough examination than the very imperfect
traverses hitherto made may remove the mystery now
shrouding the subject, and that these mounds may be
able to throw some light upon the past of our race. They
may have taken the place in a flat country entirely
free from caves, of the natural shelters of rocky dis-
tricts, and as Colchester may claim the honour, with
the flat and despised Essex marshes, of being the
cradle, though not the birthplace, of the race which
has helped so largely to make England what she is,
there may be some hidden and unsuspected revelation
concerning that early time, which, when brought to
light, may prove of the deepest interest to all the
world-wide English-speaking family.
The map on page xix. is a photographic reproduction
of part of the Ordnance Survey, sheet 48 S.W., old
series (scale one inch to the mile), to which have been
added dots showing site of mounds. The electrotype
is kindly lent by Mr. Stopes.