with Elie de Beaumont, who, in discussing this subject, says, pour une
voiture de materiaux qui en sort, on y en fait entrer cent. {166a} Nor
should we overlook the effects of fires, the demolition of old buildings,
and the removal of rubbish to the nearest vacant space.
_Abinger_, _Surrey_. Late in the autumn of 1876, the ground in an old
farm-yard at this place was dug to a depth of 2 to 21 2 feet, and the
workmen found various ancient remains. This led Mr. T. H. Farrer of
Abinger Hall to have an adjoining ploughed field searched. On a trench
being dug, a layer of concrete, still partly covered with tesser (small
red tiles), and surrounded on two sides by broken-down walls, was soon
discovered. It is believed, {166b} that this room formed part of the
atrium or reception-room of a Roman villa. The walls of two or three
other small rooms were afterwards discovered. Many fragments of pottery,
other objects, and coins of several Roman emperors, dating from 133 to
361, and perhaps to 375 A.D., were likewise found. Also a half-penny of
George I., 1715. The presence of this latter coin seems an anomaly; but
no doubt it was dropped on the ground during the last century, and since
then there has been ample time for its burial under a considerable depth
of the castings of worms. From the different dates of the Roman coins we
may infer that the building was long inhabited. It was probably ruined
and deserted 1400 or 1500 years ago.
I was present during the commencement of the excavations (August 20,
1877) and Mr. Farrer had two deep trenches dug at opposite ends of the
atrium, so that I might examine the nature of the soil near the remains.
The field sloped from east to west at an angle of about 7 ; and one of
the two trenches, shown in the accompanying section (Fig. 8) was at the
upper or eastern end. The diagram is on a scale of 1/20 of an inch to an
inch; but the trench, which was between 4 and 5 feet broad, and in parts
above 5 feet deep, has necessarily been reduced out of all proportion.
The fine mould over the floor of the atrium varied in thickness from 11
to 16 inches; and on the side of the trench in the section was a little
over 13 inches. After the mould had been removed, the floor appeared as
a whole moderately level; but it sloped in parts at an angle of 1 , and
in one place near the outside at as much as 8 30 . The wall surrounding
the pavement was built of rough stones, and was 23 inches in thickness
where the trench was dug. Its broken summit was here 13 inches, but in
another part 15 inches, beneath the surface of the field, being covered
by this thickness of mould. In one spot, however, it rose to within 6
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