OCR Text |
Show 204 BURIAL OF THE REMAINS CnAP. IV. beneath the surface of the field, which was here level. On the floor there were two large piles of charred wood, one alone of which is shown in the part of the section here given. This pile was covered by a thin white layer of decayed stucco or plaster, above which was a mass, presenting a singltlarly disturbed appearance, of broken tiles, mortar, rubbish and fine gravel, together 27 inches in thickness. Mr. Joyce believes that the gravel was used in making the mortal' or concrete, which has since decayed, some of the lime probably having been dissolved. The disturbed state of the rubbish may have been due to its having been searched for building stones. This bed was capped by fine vegetable mould, 9 inches in thickness. From these facts we may conclude that the Hall was burnt down, and that much rubbish fell on the floor, through and from which the worms slowly brought up the mould, now forming the surface of the level field. A section across the middle of another hall in the Basilica, 32 feet 6 inches in length, called the CEvarium, is shown in Fig. 10. It appears that we have here evidence of two CHAP. IV. OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 205 fires, separated by an interval of time, during which the 6 inches of" mortar and concrete .td ;§ ~- ~ :(J s ~ ~ .c "' .!<1 ~ "' ~ .9 .c ,!A u ~ ., ~ ~ ~ .s ~ cq [l "' -g· ~ ... .g 6o .!: ~:a'§ .s 2 ::! ~ t::~ ~ CD "'. ~ ~il~ Ql a -; ~.9 ~ ~ 1l 0 "' "' ~ .c ~ 5 ::s <l 0 o::< b Fig. 10. Seclion within a hall in the Basilica at Silchcstcr. Sca-le }2 |