Excavations at Frilford

Excavations were carried out on the site by Mr. Akerman in 1864 and 1865 and in the two following years and by Dr. Rolleston, then Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, at various times between 1864 and 1868. The results of the excavations were embodied in papers published by this Society. He appears principally to have assisted at quarrying operations which were then in progress, but also to have searched one or two other small areas. No map of his excavation is extant, and according to his assistant William Hine, who is still alive, no map appears to have been made. The areas probably excavated by him are marked with a cross on figure 1.Since that time a number of graves have fallen into the quarry, and scattered finds appear to have been made from time to time, some of which were examined by Professor Rolleston and after his death by Professor Moseley.In the spring of 1920 an undergraduate society, the Oxford University Archaeological Society, was anxious to do some excavating and asked me to find a site and direct the work. By kind permission of Mr. Aldworth, the owner of the property, we were able to start at Frilford in the middle of the Hilary Term, and spent week-ends there during Term, and four days at the ends of both the Hilary and Trinity Terms. The labour was provided chiefly by junior but also by senior members of the University, and honorary members of the Society, especially Sir Arthur Evans, Mr. Balfour, and Mr. Leeds materially assisted the excavations by advice and personal visits. Mr. Leeds has helped me very much in the preparation of this paper. I am indebted to Professor Arthur Thomson both for his keen interest in the work and also for putting the resources of the Anatomical Department at my disposal.