102 NOTE ON A PREHISTORIC DEPOSIT.
This prehistoric deposit is situated just at the foot of the hill-
slope which comes down from the higher ground occupied by
Epping Forest. There must have been a considerable amount
of rain-wash coming down to this spot, which was obviously of
a very marshy character. At the same time, it is not at all
clearly associated with any well-defined water-course or
streamlet.
I spent a considerable amount of time in examining most
thoroughly all the available material, but no discovery of any
remains possessing any importance in themselves rewarded my
search. Still, I think that the existence of this deposit is a fact
of some local interest which is worthy of being placed upon
record, if only as a suggestion of future possibilities, should any
further excavations take place.
The deposit in question extended for a distance of about one
hundred and seventy yards along the section, and was seen at a
depth of about two feet six inches to three feet six inches below
the level of the roadway. It was, perhaps, deeper near Meadow
Road, but here there had been more artificial disturbance on
some previous occasion, and the section was not so clear and
satisfactory as near Lower Park. Except where it was thinning
off at the two extremities, the base of the deposit was not seen.
It consisted of grey silty clay, containing much vegetable
matter. It also contained a considerable quantity of charcoal,
burnt flints, and numerous fragments of pottery of early type.
The burnt flints were particularly abundant. None of the pieces
of pottery that I could find exceeded two inches across. Most
of it was black in colour, of very coarse texture and containing
crushed flint, very ill-baked, and evidently hand-made. Some
pieces were without the crushed flint and rather lighter in
colour, but no better baked. Both these kinds of pottery
frequently occur together in association with prehistoric
remains. The total finds consisted of about fifty small frag-
ments of pottery and one piece of burnt clay showing the
impression of wattle-work.
With regard to the age of the pottery, I think there can be
little hesitation in defining it as prehistoric, especially when
we take into consideration the absence of any distinctively
Roman ware, and also the circumstances under which it was
found: namely, that it was buried in a geological deposit of some