On a Late Roman Settlement Near Somersham
Read by Professor Hughes.
The field in which our extremely limited search has been made is situated on the high land immediately bordering the great expanse of fenland which stretches from the boundary of the county of Huntingdon and the Wash. This expanse, until the time when its drainage was undertaken by Vermuyden was in all probability flooded during the greater part, if not the whole of the year, and was passable by boats only. The site of the finds to be presently described may have been near one of the points of embarkation for Ely and the other islands which rose above the fen.
Although the surface of the field abounds in pieces of rough pottery, there are no banks or ditches now visible, or other indications that there may have been any ancient settlement on this site; but this may be due to cultivation. On the other side of the road however, there are extensive earthworks which we hope shortly to explore. They consist of shallow ditches and banks somewhat like those at Cottenham. The site now described is on the west side of the road where a pit was dug several years ago for the purpose of obtaining gravel and it was noticed that in one place the soil had been disturbed. At that time no particular search was made but a few things which caught the attention of the men engaged in the work were preserved. In August 1904 and again in January, April and September of the present year a more systematic search was made.
On examining the face of the pit it was found that the depth to the gravel below the surface was about 2ft over the larger portion; in one part however the depth increased to 4ft and here there seems to have been a rather irregular trench between 5 and 6 ft wide which we have followed for about 30 ft. In it, resting on the gravel were about 2ft 3in of grey friable soil and then above, 1ft 9in of subsoil one half of which had been disturbed in the ordinary process of cultivation. In the layer of grey soil almost all the objects of interest were found. The pottery consists chiefly of pieces of very rough ware similar to that which is scattered so plentifully on the surface, while among them are some of very much finer ware but unfortunately all of it, like the rough ware, is in very fragmentary condition. The following is a summary of the objects found:

POTTERY
Various small fragments of Durbrivian ware, the larges being part of the bottom and side of a round dish.
Fragments of other fine wares comprising fluted drinking cups and vases of reddish ware with surfaces coloured black or brown, both ornamented with various indentations.
A nearly entire vase of the last mentioned ware but without indentations.
The lip of a red vessel, specially interesting from its form which is that of a female face with a not very engaging expression. A similar fragment has been fund at Borough castle in Norfolk.
A few fragments of imitation or inferior Samian ware with no ornamentation.
There were also various small pieces of fine ware too fragmentary to deserve description.
Large quantities of the common rough coarse ware some being decorated with various markings burnished on the pottery before firing.
One piece of this rough pottery deserves notice as it approaches the mediaeval or perhaps saxon style in its ornamental markings viz four circular impressions arranged in the form of a “T”
Two large pieces of mortaria the inside being set with small angular pieces of some hard black stone.
Two whole cooking pots of rough grey ware both being burnt as if they had been used for cooking purposes.

METAL ARTICLES
A bronze ornament in the shape of a spear head.
Two bronze rings, one the larger composed of twisted double wire, the other of very thin single wire.
Several pieces of bronze, apparently parts of some ornament, one evidently the pin of a “fibula”.
Various fragments of bronze to which it is impossible to assign any use.
Twenty eight coins, all much corroded, their inscriptions being practically illegible; the best specimens are coins of Constantius, Antoninus and Maxentius.
Several iron nails and pieces of much corroded iron some of which may have been the blades of knives.

GLASS
A fragment of very thin green glass streaked with white evidently part of a vessel of that material.
A small bead of twisted blue glass.
Half a large bead made of white glass streaked with purple.
Seven small beads of plain green glass with the bronze wire on which they were threaded still remaining in them.

ARTICLES OF BONE
A small clasp knife, 2 ¾ in. long, one end being bound with metal, the other containing a small round hole, probably for the purpose of attaching it to a chain or chord; the blade is almost entirely rusted away. A bone pin 4in. long with a small round head. Another bone pin with a large square head.
A piece of roughly carved bone.
There were also bones of oxen horses, sheep and swine; the lower jaw of an otter, parts of the jaw of a pike and shells of snails and oysters.

Mr Fryer also showed a few things which he and Professor Hughes had found and remarked:
When first beginning to dig we found pottery but very little metal and in the last ten feet we found no pottery, only coins, pieces of bronze etc. We also found different fragments of drinking cups, reddish and blackish in colour with ornamentation. On eof the most interesting things was a tin with a woman’s head upon it. The majority of the pottery found was very rough and all in pieces. Two whole vases were found but most of the other things were very fragmentary. Bronze was fairly numerous but owing to the damp soil it was in bad condition. One good pieceof bronze was an ornament in the shape of a spear head. There was also some glass and some beads.

Mr Conybeare said:
Professor Hughes has asked me to say something about the coins associated with these finds. None are of any importance. One of Marcus has the inscription MA but it is in a very bad state of preservation as are the next in point of time, three of which are of the Constantine period. One can be recognised as of Constantine I. one is of Constantine II with a male or female figure and the inscription CON. Another was two soldiers with shields and some other object you cannot quite see. The mint mark is DCOB, possibly Durocobrivis (Dunstable). Here are two local coins of Rome or Constantinople with head looking towards the left. One has the inscription CON on it. Another coin belongs to the post Constantine period, a coin of Magnentius. The emperor cannot be seen at all, but on the reverse is a Labarum, the sign that Constantine adopted for his standards on his profession of Christianity taking it from an earlier pagan source. It is found upon coins of Decius and is probably a Mithraic development of the prehistoric Lbrys so common a symbol in the Cretan Labyrinth. Constantine declared that it was a monogram of the letters X P and thus stood for the word “Christ”. He probably took it instead of the cross for his Christian emblem from having opportunist motives, being less aggressively anti pagan. On his coins he added the letters A and O so that the whole might read APXQ “I reign” and suggest the Kingship of Christ. His successors adopted the same device.

The Reverend F. J. Walker said:
The question has been raised as to whether read ware is Samian or not. It is certainly not Italian or French but whether it was made in England is very doubtful. There is a difference to be seen in true Samian which is usually redder.