ROMANO-BRITISH LONDON one or more coins of Pupienus, were likewise found in this place, though nothing is stated to prove whether they were cinerary urns (containing the ashes of the dead), or merely part of the furniture of unburnt burials. At Bow the circumstances are given in more detail, the large coffin of freestone being hollowed out into an oblong trough, and lying east and west, with the arms of the interred body crossed on the breast ; the lid was of similar material, and lay 4 ft. below the surface, while there were indications that large leaves had been laid on the body and heaped up to the lid. Close to the coffin was an urn of coarse grey ware, said to have contained the bones of a child (possibly not cremated),* also 'an elegant ampulla of fine red ware' (probably the so-called ' Samian'), and a patera (dish) of coarser red earthen- ware. A burial-ground was found a little to the north of this site, and a lead coffin, cinerary urns, and coins of the fourth century have been found at various spots in the neighbourhood of Old Ford, where the Roman road into Essex crossed the Lea. Careful excavation of this area might have shown whether the unburnt burials were definitely associated with the coins, and therefore presumably of Christian origin, or whether the same burial-ground was used throughout for interments before and after the time of Constantine. At Spitalfields (Plan A, 37) burials of all kinds have been found in the same field." Many urns °^ half full of ashes, all containing a coin of the first or second century (from Claudius to Antoninus Pius, at least), and many bodies had been interred in coffins of stone and wood, the latter having decayed and left nothing but the iron nails that once served to hold them together. Cremation is here approximately dated by the coins, the coffins being obviously later, and possibly in part Christian. It would be interesting in this connexion to know whether the other vessels mentioned were associated with one particular class of burials; for here, as in Kent Road," Shadwell,'* and at Southfleet, Kent, the original contents could to all appearance be recognized. Besides the (cinerary) urns (says Strype), many other pots were found in the same place made of white earth, with long necks and handles, like to our stone jugs. These were empty, but seemed to be buried full of some liquid matter long since consumed and soaked through. For there were found diverse vials and other fashioned glasses, some most cun- ningly wrought, and some of crystal (white glass ?), all which had water in them, nothing differing in clearness, taste, or savour from common spring water, whatsoever it was at the first. Some of these glasses had oil in them, very thick, and earthy in savour. Water, wine, and oil were used in the funeral ceremonies of the Romans, and milk, honey, and perfumes probably placed as offerings in the graves."" Strype further mentions divers dishes and cups of a fine red-coloured earth, which showed outwardly such a shining smoothness as if they had been of coral. They had at the bottom Roman letters printed, evidently the names of the potters. There were also lamps of white earth and red, artificially "That young children were sometimes buried unburnt is shown by Juvenal about loo a.d. ; 'terra clauditur infans et minor igne rogi ' {Sat. xv, 139). "Formerly called Lolesworth, broken up for brick-making in 1576; it lay on the east side of St. Mary's Church ; Strype, Stow's Surv. bk. ii, 98. "One of glass with a handle, containing i^ gallons, was found by Wren at Spitalfields and presented to the Royal Society {Parentalia, 267). No doubt burnt in the fire at Gresham College (Royal Exchange) in 1838. "Allen, Hist. ofLond. i, 36; the remains found in what was garden-ground on the west of the road point to burials here. Weever, Anct. Fun. Monum. 30. " Arch, xiv, 221.
- " Cochet, NormanJie Souterrabie (ed. 2), 196. Bagford mentions Roman glass bottles with a liquor in
them found near Kent Street (Leland, Collectanea, i, p. lix). 15
