276 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
I have noticed that flakes struck from polished axes occur
in much higher frequency on domestic sites than in the general
scatter over the prehistoric surface. It was a usual practice
of Neolithic man to re-flake his worn-out polished flint-axes
to serve various secondary purposes ; doubtless because the
polished axes were made of high quality material, many of them
on the great working sites like Grimes Graves, and one would
expect this secondary re-flaking to be executed on the domestic
sites.
5. Another pit-dwelling, probably of slightly later date,
yielded Neolithic pottery of the variety known as "domestic
beaker," with the outside closely covered with finger-nail
impressions. There was also a slab of pottery l1/4-inch thick,
which appears to have served the purpose of a saddle-quern.
6. Leaving the prehistoric behind us, there was also a
rather broad trench (filled-in) some four to five feet deep,
yielding Romano-British sherds, including "Samian" ware.
Associated with the above there have been some imperfect
animal bones, and also part of a branched antler of Red Deer
sawn across in three places. Not long ago the men found a relic
still nearer to our own day, namely, the complete skeleton of
a horse ; a massively built animal taking a large size in shoes,
which were also found. It recalled another Bishop's Stortford
horse which became notorious some years ago.
Newport, Essex (Neolithic).—Some ten years ago I found
a pit-dwelling of considerable interest in a small roadside pit a
little above the west bank of the Cam, and nearly a mile south
of Newport. Much of the pit-dwelling had been dug away
before I saw it, and the material had gone beyond recovery.
What was left did not exceed 41/2 feet in depth, and little more in
width, and the relics were confined to the lower half of the
infilling. This small space yielded one arrow-head, one flake
with a curved point, 11 flint saws, 14 scrapers, 13 flakes worn
by use, 45 cores, 150 good flakes, and 285 waste flint chips.
It seems strange that two Neolithic pit-dwellings, at Pledgdon
and Newport, four miles apart, should both contain such an
unusually high frequency of flint saws. The arrow-head is a
beautiful example of the unsymmetrical, winged, or single-barbed
form ; it has a fine delicate point, absolutely perfect. Strangely
enough I could find scarcely any flint-work in the surrounding
surface soil.
Wallbury (Paleolithic).—About 10 to 15 years ago gravel
was being dug a little above the level of the River Stort, in the
field immediately to the south of Wallbury Camp. I searched
the gravel on several occasions without finding so much as a