Gents Mag 1853 part 1 p.128
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Gentleman's Magazine 1853 part 1 p.128
There is an opening at the bottom, in one corner of the building, having much the appearance of a conduit: it is arched by a single stone, roughly marked with diamond tooling. The course of this channel has not been examined. The whole vault has evidently been provided with a covering. In its western wall is a projecting ledge, which is shewn in the woodcut; on this one or two courses of stones have probably rested, stretching inwards. The top by this means would be soon contracted that it might be covered over by long flat stones; one suitable for the purpose, though broken in two, lies on the spot. On the western side of the central block of buildings is a double range of barracks (B, C); each compartment is sixty feet long and fifteen broad. The masonry is exceedingly good, and evidently belongs to the first period. In the centre of the range between the apartments a deep passage runs (K), flagged at the bottom, and apparently communicating with flues (N) beneath the rooms. This passage shows five courses of masonry in situ. The outer walls of these buildings have erections resembling buttresses placed against them (I, I), and the same number, eight, is appended to each. It is probable, however, that they were not intended to strengthen the walls, but were connected with the heating of the apartments, for a flue goes under the floor from the centre of each bay. The floors of the rooms consist of a doubleset of flagstones with an intervening layer of clay between them. The floors are not supported on pillars as is usually the case in hypocausts, but upon dwarf walls; by this means the heated air would be carried along the passages with some of the precision we see manifested in the galleries of a coal mine. In one of the bays formed by the projecting buttresses of this building the cranium and several other bones of a man were found. The remains of an archway (M) leading into one of the dwellings (C) were discovered; it is probable that the other was similarly provided. There are indications that a range of houses (D), of the same character as that which has now been described, stood upon the eastern side of the central square. In the via principalis, is another vault (H in the plan), incroaching on
 the line of the street. It is thirty feet long, eight broad, and six deep. At the bottom of it was discovered a piece of sculpture representing three nymphs bathing. Mr. Bruce asks what can have been the object of so many pit-like chambers, and pauses in deciding them to have been baths. But it is difficult to conceive them constructed for any other purpose, and this piece of sculpture, as well as the inscription containing the word ballis (p.125), seem to support this opinion. Considerable discoveries have also been made at Housesteads (Borcovicus) by Mr. Clayton, and at Burdoswald (Amboglanna), by Mr. Potter,* both of which are described by Mr. Bruce with new illustrations. One of the most interesting features of the excavations at the latter place is the doorway leading from the northern gate- |
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* See p.73 of our January number. We take this
opportunity to suggest that the first two words of the
inscription found by Mr. Potter (p.74) would be better read
as Sub Modio.
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