lished probably as early as the reign of Claudius. From the coins found in this camp, and which range from ancient British, through Augustus, Agrippa, Tiberius, Germanicus, Nero and Drusus, Caligula and Claudius, up to Trajan, as well as from other testimony, Mr R. Smith is led to assert, that not the 'slightest evidence has been afforded of the tenure of the camp at any period after the Roman occupation of Britain.'[1] In iron, there have been discovered numerous varieties of spear-heads, arrow-heads, swords, the cheek-piece of a helmet, knives, agricultural implements in great variety, bridle-bits, chains, and keys.
To the courtesy of Mr Durden, of Blandford, who possesses this, and very many of the other Roman antiquities found in the castra, I am indebted for an inspection of the interesting shoe (fig. 98).
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| fig. 98 |
That gentleman writes to me as follows: 'It was found within the Roman castra on Hod Hill, about three miles from Blandford, associated with many domestic articles of Roman manufacture. The coins hitherto found there belong to the first century, and it is presumed the shoe belongs to the same period.' Less primitive-looking than some of our other specimens, especially those from Springhead and Silbury Hill, it yet belongs to the same type. Its width is 3¾ inches, length 4⅛-inches, and its breadth is a
- ↑ Collectanea Antiqua, vol. vi. p. 10.
