Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2012
For the ninth successive year we have the honour of laying before the Society of Antiquaries a report of the work of the Silchester Excavation Fund.
Operations in 1898 were begun on 2nd May, under the direction of Mr. Frederick Davis, and continued until harvest by Mr. Herbert Jones. Later works, and the filling up of the excavations, were carried out by Mr. Mill Stephenson, who brought the season's work to a close on 26th November.
The exploration of the site on a systematic plan was begun by the Fund in 1890, and has continued yearly with such success that out of the 100 acres within the city wall over 60 have now been fully examined.
page 230 note a The following are the internal dimensions of the chambers: 1, 47 feet by 22 feet; 2, 12 feet by 9¾ feet; 3, 20½ feet by 9¼ feet; 4, 12 feet by 9 feet; 5, 20 feet by 9 feet; 6, 12 feet by 9 feet; 7, 16¾ feet by 9 feet.
page 231 note a The following are the internal dimensions of the various divisions of the house: 1, 16½ feet by 13½ feet; 2, 99¾ feet by 7 feet 10 inches; 3, 18 feet by 8¼ feet; 4, 58¼ feet by 7½ feet; 5, 28 feet by 18 feet; 6, 12¼ feet by 18 feet; 7, 8 feet 4½ inches by 5 feet; 8, 13¼ feet by 17¾ feet, with an eastern annexe 17¾ feet long by 6¾ feet wide; 9, 8¾ feet by 11 feet; 10, 6½ feet by 11½ feet; 11, 16¼ feet by 20½ feet; 12, 5½ feet by 16 feet; 13, 13¼ feet by 16 feet; 14, 8½ feet by 9½ feet; 15, 8½ feet by 13¾ feet; 16, 16¾ feet by 23¾ feet; 17, 19½ feet Square; 18, 19¾ feet by 5½ feet; 19, 19¾ feet by 13½ feet; 20, 19¾ feet by 22 feet; 21, 8¾ feet by 67 feet; 22, 19¾ feet by 19 feet; 23, 18¼ feet by 17¼ feet; 24, 8¾ feet square; 25, 7 feet by 9 feet; 26, 7½ feet by 9 feet, with stokehole 3¼ feet by 5¼ feet; 27, 7½ feet by 86½ feet; 28, 13¼ feet by 12½ feet; 29, 58¼ feet by 35½ feet; 30, 13 feet (average) by 34¾ feet. In the north and south wings the walls were only 18 inches thick; in the main block they varied from 2 feet to 2 feet 3 inches in thickness.
page 232 note a These were formed in the piers that flanked the opening between the large chamber (8) and its eastern annexe.
page 233 note a The north side of the hypocaust, and so much of the east side as extends to the southernmost of the three flues there, has a smooth plaster surface, but along the rest of the east wall there is a thickening out and the plaster is rough. These differences point to some change in the characterof the southern end of the destroyed hypocaust.
page 235 note a See Archœologia, lii. 740, and plan, pl. xxviii.
page 235 note b Similar traces and the remains of a hearth were found in the open yard to the south.
page 236 note a There were signs of a channel leading in a westerly direction, commencing from a little-distance above the lower tank, which was traced to some way beyond Block I.
page 237 note a The larger chamber was 16¼ feet by 17½ feet; the lesser, 7½ feet by 17 feet.
page 240 note a See ante, p. 117.
page 244 note a The following are the dimensions of the chambers: A, 20 feet by 15 feet 8 inches; B, 11 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 6 inches; C, 6 feet by 9 feet 6 inches; D, 20. feet by 11 feet; E, the same by 12 feet 5 inches; F, the same by 28 feet remaining; corridor, 7 feet by 74 feet all remaining.
page 244 note b Price, John Edward, A description of the Roman tessellated pavement found in Bucklersbury (London, 1870), pl. 28, p. 26Google Scholaret seq. and p. 44.
page 245 note a From a paper on “Castle Dykes,” by the Rev. Lukis, W.C., M.A., F.S.A., Rector of Watt, in >Archaeological Journal (1875), xxxii. 135.CrossRefArchaeological+Journal+(1875),+xxxii.+135.>Google Scholar
page 246 note a If the design under consideration be compared with that of the pavements in House No. 1, Insula XIV. (see Archaeologia, lv. pl. xiv.), in which braidwork is largely used, the different character of its ornamentation will be readily seen.
page 248 note a See for No. 1, Real Museo Borbonico (Naples, 1833), vol. ix. tav. xxiv.; for No. 2, Gli ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stange dell' antica Pompei incisi in rame (Naples, 1796); and for No. 3, Raccolta de' piu' belli ed interessanti Dipinti, Musaici ed altri monumenti rinvenuti negli Scavi Iieali di Ercolano, di Pompei, e di Stabia che ammiransi nel Museo Reale Borbonico (2nd Edition, Naples, 1854).
page 248 note b H. N. xxi. 9; Ibid. xvi. 35. The plant is figured in Sibthorp's Flora Graeca in colour, but a better idea of it may perhaps be obtained from an illustration on p. 1270 of the Discorsi of M. Pietro Andrea Matthioli on Dioscorides (Venice, 1568), in which work it is spoken of as known in Tuscany as the Thorny Ivy.
page 249 note a Comes, , Illustrazione delle piante rappresentate nei dipinti pempeiani, (Naples, 1879.Google Scholar) Estratto dal Volume Pompei e la regions sotterrata.
page 249 note b The early use of tins marble is worthy of note.