Amongst the very few fictile articles which had wholly escaped damage was an earthen pan, (literally such,) found nearly above the spot where the Altar may be supposed to have stood, and carefully covered over with a piece of ashlar stone: it was a little injured by the workman's pick-axe, but the situation, the size, and evident care with which it had been deposited, caused much to be expected from the contents; yet upon removing the covering they were found to be nothing but earth; neither was there the slightest reason, as far as could be judged, to suspect any dishonesty on the part of those who had discovered it.
The pan was turned in a lathe, of very thin red ware, not glazed, except at the bottom of the inside, similar in shape to those now in common use, and strengthened externally towards the upper rim by nine ornaments of a fillet pattern, running upwards at equal intervals, with a greater projection towards the top, but dying into the substance of the vessel at about one third from its bottom. The diameter of the top of the pan was 1512 inches, of the bottom 1034, and the depth 812. The stone which covered it was 1512 inches by 1412, and 312 thick.
Figs. 2, 3. Iron Arrow-heads. |
Arrow-heads of considerable variety in form and dimension, have from time to time been found at Woodperry (fig. 1.) Amongst them may be noticed one of simple conical shape, measuring in length 134 inches; it was formed of bone, and rudely ornamented with incised lines, crossing each other fret-wise. Two similar arrow or bolt-heads formed of iron (figs. 2, 3), tapering gradually to a blunt point, were also discovered, and other examples of the same metal, Bone Arrow head. some fashioned with a flat triangular blade (fig. 4), not barbed, and others furnished with barbs of unusual length (figs. 5, 6, 7), in one instance measuring about 134 inches[1]. Several large
- ↑ In the armoury at Goodrich Court are preserved two iron piles of arrows, with four-sided points, and an "unique specimen of the ancient British arrow," discovered at the base of Clifford's Tower, York, the head resembling in form one of