Roman remains at Walmer and Ramsgate

( 4 ) ROM.AN REM.A.INS .AT W .A.LMER .A.ND R.A.MSG .A.TE. J3Y GEORGE DOWKER, F.G,S, .A SPECIMEN of Roman Upchurch pottery has been found, while excavating the foundations of the new church, at Upper Walmer. I was indebted to the Rev. F. Shaw, of Eastry, for this information. The Rev. C.R. S. Elvin, of Lower Walmer, has possession of the relics. It appears that, crossing the church foundations in a diagonal direction, nearly north and south, a trench some fifty feet or more long was met with, which had been filled in level with the surface;. and in the bottom of the trench were found two human skulls, and some mammalian bones of very ancient appearance, together with the Roman vessel of Upchurch ware, which was entire. This trench appears to have been cut, at some remote period, for the purpose of forming a camp on the high ground north of the mound on which Walmer Castle stands. It was noticed that no medireval remains were met with in this trench. Mr. James Hillier has recently found Roman pottery and debris, which mark the site of Romano-British dwellings, on the south flank of the vale that descends towards Ramsgate Harbour. This gentleman has lately recovered a rhinoceros horn, which was dug up with similar Roman remains some few years 􀁲go, near the Granville Hotel ; the bone was described by the local press, at the time of its discovery, as that of a whale. ROMAN REMAINS AT WALMER AND RAMSGATE. 5 This specimen is nearly three feet in length, and belongs to the species called the white rhinoceros, which has never been introduced in the living state into Britain, at least in modern times, and much curiosity has been excited by such a discovery, it having seemingly been buried with the Roman relics. It has been suggested that the Romans may have introduced the living animal for the arena, or that the horn may have, been used by them for the purpose of detecting poison in the cup, as the Romans and Greeks believed in the efficacy of its shavings for such detection; and cups of this horn were made for a like purpose. The Chinese at the present day (according to Mr. Oswell) labour under a similar delusion. Of course it may be that this horn had nothing to do with the Romans, or the Roman period, but then we are at a loss to account for such a curiosity from such a place.