BIG BRAIN OF AN OLD ROMAN

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 11

BIG BRAIN OF AN OLD ROMAN

COMPLETE SKELETON IH SURREY GARDEN In the study of Dir C. C, Fagg, a well-known Croydon antiquary, a ‘Sunday Times’ representative recently saw tho. complete skeleton of a man who lived in England about 1,700 years ago.: Sir Arthur Keith expresses the view that lie was a Roman who occupied a responsible position in tho life of his time. ' . r “Ho has more brain capacity than I. have.” savs Sir Arthur. “ What 1, would really like to know is what did he do with it.” ' . The remains wore found during tlu> remaking of a,, lawn at PuiTey, bune.\, and were only about 18in below the surface of the ground. Tho find uas reported to officials of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, and taken charge of by Dir Fagg, a past president of the society. On assembling the skeleton it was found that not a single hone was missing. Sir Arthur Keith has made a mmute examination ,of , the skeleton, and in his report says he has never seen a skeleton so completely excavated and skilfully dealt with. . .“.The evidence of the skeleton fits m best with Roman date, ’, Sir Arthur says. “From the character_ of skull and preservation of bones it is almost certain tho man is a real Roman of Italy. ... The skeleton is that of : a man about fifty-six years of age. Although the teeth are deeply worn with rough or gritty food, yet three of them show signs of caries. The markings of the jaws suggest cooked foods—all. points in favour of the skeleton being that of a Roman settler or the descendant of one. • “He was right-handed, but evidently, not a manual labourer; his bones are but weakly marked with muscles. Yon have rescued all his vertebrae. He has seven vertical,- twelve dorsal, five lumbar; but, instead of five, has six in the sacrum. I expect tho man whose remains you have found occupied a responsible position in the life of his time.” . Durum the course of his examination, Sir Arthur was able to detect, from marks on the tibia, or shin hone, where it came into contact with the ankle bone, that tho man must often have adopted a squatting posture. The skull of a boy about four years of age found near by had. so many points of resemblance that Sir Arthur thinks it not unlikely they were father and son. . The spot where tho remains were found is on the spur ■ of _ a hill just off l the old Roman road leading to Riddlesdown. On the same ridge, near Kenlev, some' schoolboys recently dug up fragments of bones, including a jaw, and part of skull of a bronze age (or “ Beaker ”) man. Other fragments of human hones;; flints, and spearheads have since been found at this spot by members of the Croydon Society, who are continuing the work of excavation.