The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-21
AN ANCIENT BRITISH CAMP.
Interesting Excavations in an Inclo-
sure Near Sheffield.

SURE WAL DuGlllelu
The exploration Of the encampmen
at Wincobank HILL which has beer
carried out by direction of the museum
committee, is now completed after near.
ly two months labors by E. Howarth
curator of the museum, and G. Brad
shaw, assisted occasionally by Profess
sor Anderson, DR.. j. A. Manton and DR.
j. Stokes. We have recorded from
time to time the discoveries made, and
1T may now be useful to give brief
summary of the work done, with gen.
eral outline of the results. The camp
on Wincobank Hill, standing as it does
on the ridge which overTooks two val
leys, is a conspicuous landmark, well
known hereabouts as the Roman camp,
and so marked on the ordnance survey
map. The form of the camp Is well
preserved, and consists of an oval in
closure one hundred and fifty yards by
one hundred and fifteen yards, sur
rounded by a clearly defined rampant
about three feet high on it's inner face,
sloping down to ditch, outside which
is another rampant.
| AT first sight it would seem that the
Enclosure had been a place of resi-
dence for some ancient British tribe,
who were protected from the incursions
of other hostile tribes by the ditch and
ramparts. Such, however, Is quite ev-
identity not the case, as is shown by the
excavations which have been made
The camp appears to have simply been
a place of refuge to fly to In case Of
danger, and the people have most like
ly lived in huts scattered around the
country outside the camp. The inside
of the Enclosure shows not the slightest
| trace of habitation, although it was
excavated in several different places,
the ground being perfectly natural,
without any signs Of ever being dis
turbed.
Outside the camp, however. one exca-
walton revealed distinct evidence of
hearth that had long been used, at a
depth of from three to four feet from
the present level, and generally bore
evidence Of having been the site of
hut. or course, all trace Of the mate
rial of the hut, which would consist of
wood and vegetable flbres, had long
since decayed away. This discovery
was informing as to the fact that huts
had existed on the hillside where the
ancient Britons would pursue their dali
ly avocations, cultivating the land, so
far as their primitive implements would
permit, and grazing their cattle, while
their elevated positions would give
them the opportunity to discover the
approach of any enemies, and so flee for
safety to the camp at the top OF the
hill.
The excavations have revealed some
very interesting features in the con-
struction of the camp. Running right
round the middle of the ditch is a thick
rubble wall, carefully put together,
some Of the stones weighing over two
hundred pounds, the face of the bank
rising to the inner rampant being orig
inally scarped so as to make it difficult
of ascent This would be the first line
Of defence, the outer rampant being
simply ridge Of earth. probably
thrown up in making the ditch. The
inner rampant, on the other hand, was
a much more elaborate structure, being
formed entirely Of stone, well fitted to-
fgether without any mortar, it's outer
face consisting of very large blocks of
stone, with a similar layer of stone on
the inside, the middle filled with rub
bic. and what looked like Stag, but was
really fused and burnt sandstone. The
presence of such large quantities of
this slaglike material almost suggested
operations though there were
no actual traces of such having been
carried on, although here and there a
considerable quantity of charred wood
or charcoal was found. The stone in
Jad ~ hna
GENTLY to warrant the assumption that
1t had formed fiux In the smelling of
ores.
Considering the vast extent of this |
inner rampant, which had depth of
from two feet to six feet Of stone, being
laid on cleared surface which had
been dug out, 1t must have taken an
enormous time to build up. The build |
ers would have fires. which would |
probably be laid on a rough hearth OF
stones gathered together; these stones |
by the heat would have become fused |
and burned together, and as the build |
ers moved along as the walled rampant |
they would use the remains
Of the hearths for filing in the walls.
This Is a likely solution of the pres
There were four openings in the inner
which probably marked the
place of gates corresponding nearly to
the four cardinal points of the compass,
and these were distinguished by the
presence of very large stones on the
edge of the opening
Having thus generally indicated the
form and structure of the camp, some
dea may be gathered as to It's age It's
position and form would at once mark
{ out as pre- Roman, and the fact that
lone of the stone used in building it
showed any trace of being worked, and
he total absence of mortar, would also
mark it out as not being of Roman orr
gin. Further than this, several Clipped
lints were found, and some pieces of
ct. The former of these could not be
nor did the Romans make
much use of jet, which was a favorite
substance for personal ornaments
lmong the ancient Britons On the
,ther hand, some pieces of undoubted
roman pottery Were found in the ditch,
which proved conclusively that the Ro-
mans had been there. 1t may, there
ore, be safely assumed that the camp
vas formed by tribe or tribes of an
lent Britons, the rampant carefully
nd laboriously built up of stone taking
long time to construct; that they
we're not seriously molested, so had not
D use the camp much for defensive
purposes, and that after 1t was aban-
oned by the ancient Britons the Ro-