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Article ON THE VITRIFIED FORTS IN NORTH BRITAIN. ← Page 4 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Vitrified Forts In North Britain.
earth : it is . of th } s wall I , have to speak . It . is throughput , composed , of granite ; 'in'the condition ' of pumice stone , very , porous ' arid , vexy ? light ; tlie upper part of this wall is not calcined , nor the lower ' part ; ' even the surfaces are in general untouched . The action of . the'fire , therefore , appears tO- have been internal . In the excavations , executed under ! my eyes , I iriade the following remarks : —We find , first , the foundations made without cement or mortar , and untouched ; then a "layer ' of .
cinders ! , then a layer of charcoal , then the mass of granite , of which all fliii 'fusible part has run between the stones so as to fill up the interstices , arid to harig down in the . form of stalactites ; and then lastly , the upper part , which is little or hot at all burnt . . It seems to me , therefore , evident , until I see a proof of the contrary , that in constructing the wall ^ they first placed'a layer of wood , that then they covered the whole with ; e arth , ' arid'thus effected a choaked combustion , ln . fact .-the charcoal is ofteri formed in the midst of this kind of lava , so as to make . lis . think that during ; the combustion , the stones , rendered fusible , had fallen in
upon , the layer of , wood . ¦¦ . : ¦'¦' ,., ' ¦¦' , " *'> . "'Excavations made in every direction in the interior area , wereiwith .. out ' result ; ' nq ' traces of buildings or burnt stones have yet be . eri . found , nor ariythrng iq' lead us to suppose the existence of a castle . " . .. " . . '„ : . „ " 'This' reihaih ([ whether fort or camp ) is elliptical in shape , and . there aire many indications which prove that it is hot of equal antiquity with the vitrified ^ rts'br the highlands . It is , however , generally admitted that thefpeculiarity in its mode of construction was imported into ,. France frdin'the'British Isles , aridI am disposed to attribute its ' erection , to the ; thirclor fourth century of the Christian era . There appear . to . ihe .
several other / monuments , '!* ' ; Brittany of a . similar description ,. > vh . ich . arb . at ' prfesent ; undergoing exariiination . These , however , . cannot . be' coii-i siclered as' strictly . analogous to . the highland forts , there being many essential ' points of difference both in shape and construction ^ . _' .. " > ^ 'With'regard 'to the ' peculiar-mode adopted in the constructipn , oflfa , e , vitrified [ forts [ in North Britain , we are now enabled frprri Syhat . has . . bee ' ni before' expla [ ijie _ d , / tb [ form soihething like a rational conjectur . " e , [ if / ynbt ' to , arriveat ' curate conclusion butthe £
' an'ac ; ; period vyhen . they ,. Wre ;[ con [ - struete ' djarid ;' l \ ie ^ ebj »/ e ^ '' * hom they , were stfreadil / s'bive'd / 'Th ^ interestingiquestiori . s / . and . the . ir , investigation leads . us into the consideration of . matters'his itbrical ' , as . \ veir as'Masbriiij ' . necessarily instructivb , and which ckri . ribt'Be . /^ eemeii ' . uqpisb-. Stabler . ' , "' ' [' / ' " ['' . ' ' ; ' ,: [; ' [[ ' [ . _ .... _ . ' . ;;' ; / . ' ..- ' .. ' , ' . ' -... ' . " . ' . ' . ' . ' . "f ' , i , . ' : [ , ' [ . 'l ,, ' ,, ' . ^ . ' > lt ; lias ' beeri-bbseryed thatallantiquariansare agreedas : tb the erection ; ofithbHihland'Tbrts preceding the Rprnari inyasiori' Thishei tfie
g .. .-. ; , jig ., . caise ' , th ' e riext questibri' seems to be " whether" they ^ ere ,, ergcted ,. / by ' . the , ancient inhabitants p f [ Caledonia within what Tfixy ^ iii ^ iis \< i &&& - ' i'Kmtted ^^ ioS / ' aritSce'dentto'that that the , temples ,. arid fern ' of the ' aH Merit Britons , a ^ referen [ ce 4 p [ £ ^ ^ J a ^ wj uVe ^ i ^ ave / 4 1 _ at , bribb . ; a stnking [/ ilissjmiiari
important point to be considered m the classification ' ot these descriptions of relics ; and in the next place , we have a mode of construction entirel y unknown in the south , for if it had been known , remains would most unquestionably before this have been discovered . And , putting these two facts together , we are forced to the conclusion that as we can discover nothing analogous within a period embraced by history or reached By tradition , we must revert back to a most remote era to account for
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Vitrified Forts In North Britain.
earth : it is . of th } s wall I , have to speak . It . is throughput , composed , of granite ; 'in'the condition ' of pumice stone , very , porous ' arid , vexy ? light ; tlie upper part of this wall is not calcined , nor the lower ' part ; ' even the surfaces are in general untouched . The action of . the'fire , therefore , appears tO- have been internal . In the excavations , executed under ! my eyes , I iriade the following remarks : —We find , first , the foundations made without cement or mortar , and untouched ; then a "layer ' of .
cinders ! , then a layer of charcoal , then the mass of granite , of which all fliii 'fusible part has run between the stones so as to fill up the interstices , arid to harig down in the . form of stalactites ; and then lastly , the upper part , which is little or hot at all burnt . . It seems to me , therefore , evident , until I see a proof of the contrary , that in constructing the wall ^ they first placed'a layer of wood , that then they covered the whole with ; e arth , ' arid'thus effected a choaked combustion , ln . fact .-the charcoal is ofteri formed in the midst of this kind of lava , so as to make . lis . think that during ; the combustion , the stones , rendered fusible , had fallen in
upon , the layer of , wood . ¦¦ . : ¦'¦' ,., ' ¦¦' , " *'> . "'Excavations made in every direction in the interior area , wereiwith .. out ' result ; ' nq ' traces of buildings or burnt stones have yet be . eri . found , nor ariythrng iq' lead us to suppose the existence of a castle . " . .. " . . '„ : . „ " 'This' reihaih ([ whether fort or camp ) is elliptical in shape , and . there aire many indications which prove that it is hot of equal antiquity with the vitrified ^ rts'br the highlands . It is , however , generally admitted that thefpeculiarity in its mode of construction was imported into ,. France frdin'the'British Isles , aridI am disposed to attribute its ' erection , to the ; thirclor fourth century of the Christian era . There appear . to . ihe .
several other / monuments , '!* ' ; Brittany of a . similar description ,. > vh . ich . arb . at ' prfesent ; undergoing exariiination . These , however , . cannot . be' coii-i siclered as' strictly . analogous to . the highland forts , there being many essential ' points of difference both in shape and construction ^ . _' .. " > ^ 'With'regard 'to the ' peculiar-mode adopted in the constructipn , oflfa , e , vitrified [ forts [ in North Britain , we are now enabled frprri Syhat . has . . bee ' ni before' expla [ ijie _ d , / tb [ form soihething like a rational conjectur . " e , [ if / ynbt ' to , arriveat ' curate conclusion butthe £
' an'ac ; ; period vyhen . they ,. Wre ;[ con [ - struete ' djarid ;' l \ ie ^ ebj »/ e ^ '' * hom they , were stfreadil / s'bive'd / 'Th ^ interestingiquestiori . s / . and . the . ir , investigation leads . us into the consideration of . matters'his itbrical ' , as . \ veir as'Masbriiij ' . necessarily instructivb , and which ckri . ribt'Be . /^ eemeii ' . uqpisb-. Stabler . ' , "' ' [' / ' " ['' . ' ' ; ' ,: [; ' [[ ' [ . _ .... _ . ' . ;;' ; / . ' ..- ' .. ' , ' . ' -... ' . " . ' . ' . ' . ' . "f ' , i , . ' : [ , ' [ . 'l ,, ' ,, ' . ^ . ' > lt ; lias ' beeri-bbseryed thatallantiquariansare agreedas : tb the erection ; ofithbHihland'Tbrts preceding the Rprnari inyasiori' Thishei tfie
g .. .-. ; , jig ., . caise ' , th ' e riext questibri' seems to be " whether" they ^ ere ,, ergcted ,. / by ' . the , ancient inhabitants p f [ Caledonia within what Tfixy ^ iii ^ iis \< i &&& - ' i'Kmtted ^^ ioS / ' aritSce'dentto'that that the , temples ,. arid fern ' of the ' aH Merit Britons , a ^ referen [ ce 4 p [ £ ^ ^ J a ^ wj uVe ^ i ^ ave / 4 1 _ at , bribb . ; a stnking [/ ilissjmiiari
important point to be considered m the classification ' ot these descriptions of relics ; and in the next place , we have a mode of construction entirel y unknown in the south , for if it had been known , remains would most unquestionably before this have been discovered . And , putting these two facts together , we are forced to the conclusion that as we can discover nothing analogous within a period embraced by history or reached By tradition , we must revert back to a most remote era to account for