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were found in the wide-mouthed urns than in most of the
smaller vessels.
About twenty burials were encountered within a space of about
30 ft. by 20 ft.. The accompanying plan shews the complete area excavated,
except that the trench 2 ft. wide on the north, and that 6 ft. wide on the
west, extended 4 ft. further in each case, but without resulting in any
finds. The plan shews also the relative situations of the burials, and, the
whole of the vessels having been carefully measured and drawn (as far as the
fragments permit in some cases), it will not be necessary in the following
report to describe their form in full, since this is shewn by the
illustrations; they need only be grouped, and special items of interest
recorded.
The writer would here express his most sincere thanks to Mr.
Thos. May, F.S.A., for practically all the particulars now recorded
respecting this pottery. From potsherds and full-size drawings submitted to
him, he has kindly given descriptions of the vessels and
the clays of which they are made, furnished the references quoted
to similar and dated pieces
of pottery, adding
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to other interesting information: "The
excellence in shape, ornamentation and technique of the cordoned vessels
(Nos. 7, 8, 11, 12, 16, 22, 24, 32, and 33) indicates that, if the ware
was not imported from Gallia Belgica, the potters of Kent preserved the
late Celtic tradition and skill to a later date than did those in other
parts of Britain."
The first discovery was made on the 15th April. Some
workmen, engaged in digging a hole about 20 ft. long by 7 ft. wide and 4
ft. deep, came across the pieces of pottery numbered 1 to 6, all more or
less broken. It was not until some months afterwards, when the fragments
(mostly thought to belong to Nos. 1 and 3) were being cleaned and pieced
together, that it became evident there must have been double this number
of pots disturbed.
The position of the identified pots was noted, but, on
recognizing more vessels among the fragments, it was considered preferable
to letter, instead of number, those pieces
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