AT HANGMAN'S WOOD, GRAYS.
237
down or had fallen down the shaft, and had left their bones in various-
parts of the conical heap.
The mound in No. 2 was found to have been formed in a pre-
cisely similar way. Thanet Sand lay above gravel, and the large flints
rested directly on the floor. But a small recess in the chalk on one
side of the shaft in No. 3 was not represented by a similar hole in
No. 2. This recess was about 1 ft. high in the centre, about 1 ft. 6 in.
long and 1 ft. deep, and was about 2 ft. above the floor. The clearing
away of the mound in each case showed the much greater suitability
of the Thanet Sand than the chalk for a shaft descended by foot-
holes. Blocks of chalk of very considerable size and weight had
fallen irregularly from its once smoothed and squared surface at the
base of the shaft, while the wear of the Thanet Sand above had been
singularly even and regular, the growth of moss on its sides having
tended very much to check denudation. In this respect, however,
the shaft of No. 3 is inferior to those of either No. 2 or No. 4. For
the footholes are almost entirely gone in No. 3, while in No. 4
(where the mound yet remains untouched) Mr. R. M. Christy
ascended and descended several feet by their aid.
The composition of the mound in No. 55 was precisely like those of
Nos. 2 and 3, except that fewer large flints were found at the bottom
Possibly in this case more chalk and less flint had been used for
steining. The height of the mound was fully 18 ft. All these
mounds must have been considerably increased during the centuries
of their formation by the mere fall of the dead leaves which collected
in the funnel - shaped opening at the surface. But while fallen
animals are more or less represented by bones, usually soft and
decaying, the vegetable matter has simply imparted a darker colour
to the Thanet Sand, or formed a dark earthy patch where present in
unusual quantity.
During the clearing away of the mound in No. 3 many bones were
seen at various levels, and these, together with others found else-
where in the deneholes, have been kindly determined for us by
Mr. E. T. Newton, Assistant Naturalist to the Geological Survey, who
visited us more than once for that purpose (see Appendix 1., post).
Experience having showed that it was unnecessary to attempt any
5 In order to give those who had not an opportunity of visiting the deneholes during our
explorations, an idea of their actual appearance, we reproduced a drawing of No. 5 pit (Fig. 5),
kindly furnished by Mr. H. A. Cole. The time chosen for the making the sketch was when the
removal of the cone of earth had been nearly completed, and the spectator is supposed to be
standing in the primary chamber of the pit most remote from No. 6. The accidentally formed
opening into the latter pit, referred to above (page 233), is seen in the distance.—Ed.