without some, though rare, support from fact1 the vulgar opinion of treasures being found in barrows. This subject ought not to be dismissed without pointing out to the notice of the reader the conformities, however rude, between the long barrows, full of kistvaens, and the chambered sepulchres on the sides of hills in Egypt. Except in inferiority of workmanship, and the artificial, not natural elevation, they both betray a similar origin. From an oval orifice on the side of a kistvaen in the Avening long barrow, it is manifest that the aperture was left for new interments; that they were family mausolea; and, from the people having only graves with cippi, or pillars, that the principle of vaults for the rich, and graves for the poor, with head-stones, now usual, is of most remote antiquity. BANKS AND DITCHES. These among us are frequent, and are classed by Sir R. Č. Hoare into, 1. Boundary Banks and Ditches. These are known by having only one vallum. They were originally thrown up for the double purpose of defence and communication. Those for defence had a high vallum on one side only, and a ditch on the other. In tracing them particular attention must be paid to the respective situations of the bank and ditch, for by a strict observation of this circumstance can we alone ascertain the continuation of the particular bank which we are pursuing; for whenever we find the ditch in the contrary direction 3, we may conclude that it is not the same object of our research; and in some districts they are so numerous that, without the nicest discrimination, we shall be frequently liable to error. They are not strait, like the Roman roads, but most capricious and deviating. From the Chartulary of Wilton Abbey, it may be inferred that they were passed by substerranean thoroughfares, called Crypel-gates. [See Dugd. Monast. ii. 858, col. 1. line 49.]— 2. Ditches with two valla, covered ways, or lines of communication. These covered ways present in general an outline of two banks nearly of an equal height, P. 13. In a barrow at Upton Lovell, which Sir R. C. Hoare calls the Golden Barrow, were found various articles of gold; and rings set with diamonds and garnets, excavated from barrows, have been before mentioned, pp. 210, 211. The following particulars are to be received with distrust: Mr. King says (i. 286, 325, 328) that there are few or no Danish barrows in Great Britain. Ledwich (Ireland, 44, from Wormius) gives this account: Odin ordered large barrows to be raised to celebrated chiefs. A large circle around the base, denoted a chieftain. The treasures of illustrious men were buried with them, not left to their heirs. Kings were buried in a sitting posture with their soldiers on each side of them. Wormius observes, that royal barrows, according to some, were of the size and shape of the largest ship, which they possessed. So far conjecture. As to fact, the barrows uncovered at Westra and the Zetland Isles have peculiar marks of Danish habits; for besides the usual things mentioned, they have battle axes, combs, the Danes being very particular about their hair, whereas it was not usual for our ancestors, before the Norman æra, to comb it every day (Eadmer, 23); crowns [for the sea kings]; and gold circles round the thighs. These barrows may be fairly ascribed to the Danes or their neighbours of similar habits. Of the multifarious contents of these tumuli, see Gough's Camden, iii. 743. It is also to be observed, that near Minchin Hampton, in Gloucestershire, where is a camp ascribed to the Danes, and a place called Woeful Danes Bottom, the author has seen a long barrow with head-stones, like those engraved by Wormius, and was presented with the long neck of a spur, similar to those also engraved by him, taken from the bottom mentioned. See too, CH. XII. § DANES, p. 531. • Compare Denon, pl. xii. of the tombs in the Quarries of Silsilis, with Archæologia, vol. xix. pl. i. 3 Wansdike, probably the great boundary of the Belge before Cæsar's invasion, is distinguished by camps or earthworks projecting from it, and has singular irregularities in its course. It does not continue its course along the strongest ridges of hill, but often descends from it into a village and open downs, and where an obstacle impeded its taking a straight direction, it frequently makes the most unaccountable angles, but in one respect it is invariable, namely, in having its ditch to the North and bank to the South, which shows from what quarter the attack of the enemy was to be expected. (Anc. Wilts, ii. 22.) The Saxons probably added to it; for the agger is double, one raised upon the other. Id. 29. with an intermediate, broad, and flat ditch between them 1. Some very rare present a triple row of valla, the one in the centre being the most distinguished for height. These covered ways communicate with some strong-hold, whither the inhabitants could convey in danger their wives, families, and cattle. Sir Richard adds: "Whoever views these banks and ditches with an attentive eye will easily perceive a decided distinction between them and such as were evidently formed for boundaries; the valla of the former being thrown up with a great deal of symmetry, and equal on both sides, with a wide and flat surface left between them at bottom; the latter having an elevated vallum on one side only, with a deep and narrow ditch on the other."-3. Foss and Bank for Spectators. Such are those where the foss is inside [or outside at Abury]. There a flat ledge, twelve feet broad, projects from the vallum about half-way between it and the ditch. They were probably united for the accommodation of sitting, in regard to the numerous spectators which resorted thither on the publick festivals.-4. Numerous ditches together. These were always connected with British villages and settlements. Thus Sir Richard 2. But there is another kind.-5. A vallum between two ditches, with numerous artificial mounts, the site of small forts, along its course. Such is Offa's Dyke. Watt's Dyke runs nearly in a direction with it, but at unequal distances, from five or six hundred yards to three miles. The intermediate space was neutral ground for purposes of business 3. Banks, lines of circumvallation, and castella, or small forts, were thrown up by the earliest Ancients and the Romans in sieges, of which we have frequent accounts in the Bible.-Ditches in the Middle Age were deemed fortifications of the first import. They were made even round engines, and against every direction whence attack was apprehended. Where there was a ditch footmen were deemed a competent guard. In sieges they strove to fill them with large trees and beams, wood and straw, faggots covered with beams and earth, or crossed them on hurdles and doors. Fish was kept in them; and to obtain them the water was let off by sluices. It was deemed very important to keep them clean 4. BULWARK. Near one of the gates of the Grecian Thebes is an ancient bulwark, much resembling Old Sarum. It consists of two cones with truncated summits, one smaller than the other. The former stands upon the larger as upon a pedestal, thereby leaving room for a road all round its base, and having, in consequence of its truncated summit, a level plane on its top. Dr. Clarke thinks it may be one of the hills of Apollo Ismenius 5. CAIRNS. CARNADDAN. They are heaps of stones, supposed to have contained the bodies of the criminals, burnt in the wicker images of the Druids, burial places of other criminals, distinctions of chieftains, &c.6; but many barrows were composed of stones; and there is a confusion in the accounts. Sir Richard Colt Hoare says, that several have been opened without the smallest appearance of sepulchral remains, and concludes that they are merely montjoyes or heaps of memorial mentioned in the covenant between Jacob and Laban". Rowlands distinguishes cairn from carnedd. The latter he makes the place of sacrifice. Borlase says, cairns or karns for holy fires 9. 'The author once found himself in a very perfect covered way of this kind between Newnton and Malmesbury. Anc. Wilts. i. 19, 44, 116, 186, 189, 244; ii. 47, 72, 73, 108. 3 Fosbroke's Wye Tour, pp. 98, 99. Dec. Scriptor. 1166, 2513. Joinv. i. 216, 224. Froiss. i. 285; ii. 229; iv. 124; vi. 318. Elmham (Vit. Hen. V.) 46. • Engraved Clarke, vii. 39. p. 75. 6 Smith's Gaelic Antiq. 49-52. Nicholson's Cambr. Travell. 1139. Archæol. v. 243, 244. 7 Anc. Wilts. ii. 113, 114, from Genes. c. xxxi. 46-48. * Mona Antiq. 92. ed. 1st. 9 Cornwall, 113. CAMPS. Before entering on this subject, I beg to observe, that with regard to British and Anglo-Saxon Camps, my opinions are different from those of preceding writers. I have of course to show my reasons. The conformity between Britain and Gaul has always been admitted, and the Desiderata in British antiquities have been supplied, as far as was practicable, from the archæology of our continental neighbours. Cæsar's accounts therefore, in his books of the Gaulish War, of the castrametation of that people seem to me best suited to explain those of the Britons, because he exhibits analogies in Gaul to our grand British positions. 1. It is noted, that the Gauls were not in the habit, like the Germans, of making their camps the places of action, but merely of retreat. Cæsar makes the same remark of the Britons; for he says, that after a repulse, they fled into the woods, and occupied a place, excellently fortified both by nature and art, which they had prepared before on account of a civil war, and blocked up the adits with an abbatis of trees. I do not therefore think, that slight banks and ditches, though anterior to the Roman Conquest, denote more than settlement. 2. It appears from Cæsar, that a hill, surrounded or rather peninsulated by a river, and fortified with a wall across the Isthmus, was deemed a very strong position. Such was Vescontio now Besancon3, and such were the favourite positions also of the AngloSaxons and Danes. Avaricum, now Bourges, in Berry, was a peninsula almost surrounded by a river and marsh, and had a very narrow adit. This was another strong position 4. We have a fine fac-simile of these positions on Carnochon Farm, about one mile from St. David's, in Pembrokeshire, near St. Bride's Bay. It is a peninsula crossed half way by a natural broad ditch with nearly perpendicular sides, to the level of the sea, and the rest guarded by four parallel ramparts 5. 3. The Grand Fortress of the Aduatici was surrounded on all sides but one, which had a gentle ascent, with very high rocks and precipices. This gentle ascent was guarded by a very high double wall, composed of stones of immense size and sharp beams. It was deemed the strongest and final resort. The Gaer-dikes or Coxall Hill, where Caractacus was finally defeated, is a similar position. It is a very large camp, three times as long as it is broad, on the point of a hill, accessible only one way; and defended on the North side by very deep double ditches, dug in the solid rock. On the East, the steepness of the ground renders it impregnable, and on the South it has only one ditch, for the same reason. The West side, where is the entrance, is fenced with double works, and to the South-west with treble. There was also a narrow passage out of the East side down the pitch of the hill 7. (See the Plate, fig. 5.) 4. We further hear of a hill excellently fortified, and cut round on every side. The Little Doward, near Monmouth, is cut round into three terraces, which wind up to the summit, and these terminate in large irregular valla, which command the adit. This communicates with a small oblong parallelogram on the top, from which there is an entrance to a long spheroidal plain ramparted all round. In both these divisions. earthworks of foundations appear, square and oblong, and one round like a low barrow 9. 5. Chains of Forts. Cæsar says, that Vercingetorix, having pitched his camp upon a mountain near the town, with small intervals around him, had placed separately the From 2 Id. 91. ❝ Cæs. p. 52. personal survey. • Id. 28. 5 Nicholson's Camb. Cæs. 1. vii. c. 34. p. 135. 'Delphin Cæsar, p. 76. n. 4. Travell. 1234, from Manby. ed. Maittaire. |