"MYSTERY" PORT TO BE DUG UP.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3136, 25 September 1922, Page 8

"MYSTERY" PORT TO BE DUG UP.

The Commissioners of the Ofheo ol Works have given permission to the • Society of Antiquaries to excavate Hiehhorough, the "mystery port ol tbe war, ami digging will begin early next month. It will be tbe most important attempt ever made to throw li-dit on those far-off. dim days wihen the legions ol Home ruled Britain. Ihe work will take live years to complete Few people know that Rn'libormigli. in addition to its mystery as the "hush" port of tbe war, holds a mystery which is nearly 2.000 years old. and is one of the most puzzling problems in Romano-British archaeology. It was inhabited throughout the 100 years of tbe Human occupation, ana "town after town wasjHii.lt on its' site. Here the legions landed, and more than 140,000 Human coins have been discovered in the neighborhood—possibly tbe "back pay" of the troops! Tbe thousands of visitors who are at present visiting Richborough are immediately impressed by the sharp contrast between the up-to-date port which grew up during the war and the ragged old ruins of Hicbborougb Castle, composed of time-defying pink Roman mortar and stone, which is all thai :s left of the once famous port of HutuOi'ie of the romances of the war was the wizard-like transformation ol the barren marsh to a great base, for transport., a. depot for troops, and a d'ocU. It was a remarkable instance o military history repeating itself. the Romans discovered that Richborough was a kev to Britain, and after a lapse ol nearly two thousand years' the Army Council made it a key to France. The ancient mystery oi Hichboroiigh is to be found within the tough old Avails of the castle. Near the northeastern corner a ridge rises in the form of a cross. This is the mark or a ftupei-r-tructiire which has entirely disappeared Beneath this cross is n. sola rectangular platform 144 ft. long and 104 ft.'wide, and of unknown depth. Mam attempts have been made to hncl out. 'bow deep this great platform goes down in the earth, but none has been successful. \n additional touch ol mystery was .riven to this foundation some yeans ago when a number of excavators discovered a long and irregular subterranean passage which may to-day be explored In- the aid of candles. What was this platform and it* underground passage? Nothing like it has ever been discovered among the Roman remains, in this country or on the Continent. . "The excavation ol the platlorni and the underground passage will no doubl be the most interesting 'feature ol our work." said a fellow of the Society ol Antiquaries. "Tt is useless to theorise about them. That has already been done too well. The fact however, that Pieces of fine white marble have been lonnd which belonged to some important building which hundreds ol years a«o stood on the platform seems to surest that the building was of oreater magnificence than a lighthouse.