CENTURIATION IN ESSEX.
219
In this connection the widely centuriated area occurring on the
eastern London Clay appears to be significant. It should be
recalled that this area was apparently heavily settled during
the La Tene III times. The Romans, however, do not appear
to have greatly extended the clearings on the main mass of
Boulder Clay—and it may be reasonably suggested, from a
consideration of the few centuriation vestiges in the area, that
it was only surveyed for clearing. A comparison is suggested
by the way many Romano-British town walls were laid out on
spacious lines, during the second century, to accommodate
expected future expansion. Just as this expansion never
materialised, so it seems that the clearing of the Boulder Clay
was never accomplished, the few lengthy centuriation roads re-
maining as witnesses of the conquerors' intentions. With regard
to the London Clay area, in which the heaviest centuriation
occurred, it is apparent that the Romans must have rapidly oc-
cupied this district noticed as widely settled during the La Tene
III times. We have already observed that settlement was easily
carried out in this region of light woodland covering.
Thus the Roman settlement in Essex appears to support
Collingwood's dictum concerning the Roman failure to clear
any new type of soil. It seems as if the invaders rapidly extended
the areas of cultivation in those tracts where the British had
made some progress. Particularly was this so in the eastern
London Clay region. This district, with its light woodland
cover, allowed a rapid clearing and preparation for tillage. It
seems significant that the great area of Romano-British cultivation
should have obtained here, and suggests, what is indeed true,
that the Romans did not intend the improvement of the country
for any philanthropic motives, but a rapid exploitation of its
corn resources for the Empire's granaries. The Romans, acting
the part of landlords, pushed forest clearing as rapidly as possible
in those districts where it was easily accomplished. No great
amount of capital was expended in clearing fertile, but heavily
wooded, soils like the Boulder Clay, although such an action
was within their power. The Romans did not and could not
improve the agricultural methods of the British.
We may, therefore, consider the Roman period as a time of
consolidation during which existing clearings and partial clearings