136 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
soil and raking it over, and not infrequently more than one. My
own favourite implement for this kind of work is a portable
entrenching tool on a long handle.
We did a certain amount of screening, where it seemed to be
desirable, but although one does not profess to find everything,
this did not actually result in our finding anything more than we
had already secured in raking the soil over.
There only remains to me the pleasant duty of expressing the
indebtedness of the club to the Epping Forest Committee of the
Corporation of London for permission to carry out the excavations.
The work has been assisted by many volunteer observers, who
have relieved me of my duties when other engagements have
necessitated my absence. Among these I would specially
name Mr. Percy Thompson, Mr. W. H. Ryde, Mr. G. C.
Dunning, Mr. Leigh Hunt, and my wife. I was especially
fortunate in securing the co-operation of Mr. G. C. Dunning,
who stayed with me in September, 1927, and who devoted him-
self daily to the work, and whose observations on the pottery
are appended.
REPORT ON POTTERY FRAGMENTS FROM
AMBRESBURY BANKS, LOUGHTON CAMP, AND THE
PILLOW MOUNDS AT HIGH BEACH, ESSEX.
By Gerald C. Dunning, B.Sc.
The excavations directed by Gen. Pitt-Rivers at Ambresbury
Banks in 18814 and at Loughton Camp in 18825 brought to
light some fragments of pottery from the bottom of the ramparts,
on the old surface line of the ground. These fragments are of
the greatest value—indeed, they are the only sure evidence—in
indicating the date of construction of these camps.
Two qualities of ware are represented, coarse and fine, and
both are hand-made. The coarse pottery is rough to the touch,
very hard, red or reddish-brown on the outer surface, with a
fair amount of crushed flint in the paste ; all the fragments
are too small to give any reliable idea of the shape of the vessels,
but they were evidently large cooking-pots with thickened out-
bent rims. The second class of pottery is a striking contrast to
the coarse ware ; it is slightly soapy to the touch, about one-half
4 Trans. Essex Field Club, ii. (1882), 55.
5 Trans, Essex Field Club, iii. (1884), 212.