LONDINIUM FINDS

Shannon News, 17 September 1926, Page 4

LONDINIUM FINDS

[ A COMB WITH FINE BLACK HAIR j ADHERING. | -'. j More relics of Roman Londinium ' have been discoA'ered in the excava.j tions for building purposes in Mileslane, E.C., near London Bridge. j Although buried for more than | 1800 pears, a 5-inch long- iron stylus j was completely free of rust, and the j writing point and the erasing edge } were as sharp as they could have ; been on the last occasion a Roman : scribe used the pen on his waxed , tablets. A boxwood hair-comb is in such good condition that it has the appearance of being almost newly made. The comb, to which strands of fine hair were still adhering, measures .. 8 tin. by Sin, and both the coarse and the fine teeth are .as regularly and delicately cut—apparently/ with a i fret-saw—as in a machine-made article to-day. i Excellent craftsmanship is , revealed in the sole of a sandal—wood attached to leather and studded with hobnails similar to those used at the present time. The wood and leather were carved to the exact shape of the wearer's tot;S. The upper portion of another sandal, although of very j thick leather, as if intended for the i hardest wear, is of an legant patj tern. A large quantity of Samian ware (50 to .100 A.D.) has been removed, also a portion-of a pipeclay statuette, probably of Venus, of the kind used v j by the Romans for household ornament. It this site, six weeks ago, | that a portion of a wail of thick tfmI ber, proved to be part of the river frontage during the Roman occupation, was discovered, and precautions are being taken for the safe un- - covering of the-continuation of the structure. I