78
NOTES.
doing so found the oven or kiln mentioned by Mr. W. H. King, in his paper at
the recent meeting of the Essex Archaeological Society at Colchester. In its
immediate vicinity a vase was found containing some bronze celts and an armilla,
and these have been secured for the British Museum. Possibly they may have
been a portion of the stock-in-trade of a merchant or founder, as there was a
lump of metal with them."—From the "Antiquary" for April, 1892.
Early Pottery at Clacton-on-Sea.—"During last week, as some men
were engaged in digging gravel on Mr. P. Smith's farm at Bull Hill, they found
three vases in the red gravel three feet from the surface. They were found on
different days. The first was unfortunately broken and the others injured.
They appear to be early British or pre-Roman. One measured 5 inches in diameter,
and was 6 inches in height. The shape is that of an ordinary water-bottle, only
with a larger neck. The outside is of a beautiful red colour, and very smooth.
The ornamentation is very regular, and the design is very primitive. The
interiors are rough, and underneath the red outside is a layer of black clay.
Fragments of unburnt pottery were also found; and from the nature of the
upper strata, in which are many calcined stones, it is possible that a pottery may
have existed on the spot."—From the "Essex Standard," May 7th, 1892.
Palaeolithic Implement at Felstead.—On the 27th April, I found on the
left bank of the Ter, near Peak's Hall, Felstead, a well worked Palaeolithic
Implement, It is 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick ; shaped to a
chisel point at one end, and has a butt adapted to the hand at the other end. It
is of flint, and has a white lustrous coating. This is the second Palaeolithic
Implement I have found resting on a denuded surface of Boulder-Clay ; but how
it got there there is no evidence to show.—J. French, Felstead.
County Museums.—The following is the paragraph from the "Antiquary"
for January, referred to by Mr. Fitch in his "Presidential Address," ante page 72.
With regard to the suggestion for the circulation of objects among villages
and other districts, attention may be called to the suggestive paper by Mr. F. W.
Rudler in our last volume on "Cabinets of Natural History Specimens for
Circulation among the Village Schools of Essex" (E. N., vol. v., pp. 186-189),
where the idea is admirably set forth :—"We have good reason to believe that
when the question of district and village councils comes before Parliament in the
ensuing session, or, as is more probable, in the newly elected Parliament, a
proviso of considerable interest to antiquaries will be inserted in the bill. It will
be proposed that the County Council shall be instructed to provide a central
museum and library for the area of the county, and that the museum objects and
books shall circulate from time to time to village halls or smaller local centres.
No doubt in the minds of the proposers of this scheme 'museum objects' would
primarily mean such substances and raw and manufactured material as illustrated
the particular industries and trades of the district; but archaeological objects have
not been forgotten. It would add immensely to the study of the past if a general
notion of the nature and appearance of pre-historic implements, early pottery,
coinage, and the like, could be spread throughout our country districts by the
circulation of carefully chosen specimens."