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Preface OUR prospectus, with some illustrations, was first issued early in 1939, when we were working upon the finishing details of Part I. Unfortunately, the second world war not only prevented resumption of the excavations at the Meare East Village, for which everything had been arranged, but also made any publishing next to impossible, much to our regret, knowing it was long overdue. It is hoped that if Part I is well received, Part II may be issued at no distant date. To reduce the initial cost and further delay we have decided not to issue the work in bound covers, but to adopt a continuous pagination and plate numbering throughout the parts, so that subscribers can eventually bind the work in one or more volumes as preferred. In Part II it is hoped to
describe the construction of the Western Village in detail, chapters
being added on objects of iron, bronze, antler, bone, etc. Part III
will complete the description and illustration of the vast collection
of objects found, together with chapters on Natural History ; also an
Index to the three parts The Glastonbury Lake Village excavations having been completed in 1907, a trial-excavation was made at Meare in 1908 (see Chapter I). This consisted in digging a trench 5 ft. wide through the centre of a dwelling-mound (No. VII) of medium size. Considering the small amount of excavation which was done the 'finds' were exceedingly numerous, and this small digging yielded more objects than were found in many of the larger Glastonbury dwellings. There were few spadefuls of earth that did not contain something of archaeological value. Fragments of pottery and bones of animals alone filled several wheelbarrows. These facts and much else were reported at the Dublin Meeting of the British Association in 1908, and an account was printed in the Tenth Report of the Lake Village Committee. Included in the prefatory matters of this volume we give a list of Grants and Donations to these excavations from l900 to 1933 ; and it will be seen that besides several generous gifts made by individuals, the fund was well supported by Government Grants administered by the Royal Society, the Society of Antiquaries of London, the British Association, and by an anonymous benefactor for the employment of ex-Service men. We tender our warmest thanks to all those who, by their gifts, have made this work possible. We also take this opportunity of thanking the workmen employed during these years, and specially the foreman, Tom Paul, who worked for several seasons from the beginning. He acted as foreman at the Glastonbury Lake Village throughout the work. Others who are giving help (especially in the Natural History department) will be recognised and thanked when the remainder of the work is published. Still we must not fail to record here our sincere thanks to Mrs. St. George Gray who has devoted much time to the cleaning and repair of the antiquities discovered. The Meare Excavation Fund
has accumulated a certain amount of tackle, including wheelbarrows and
tools. The Fund also owns the movable office-shed which now stands in
the central part of the Eastern Village. |