It is generally stated that the trapezoidal outline was adopted in order to allow the water to enter the ditch from a running stream and to part easily into two channels (fig.

11).

That is quite intelligible.

But, if so, one would expect the outlet to be at the opposite end, and not (as it actually is) in the middle of one side, where it would 'short-circuit' the current.

(Mr.H.S.Jones seems to have confused inlet and outlet.) [Illustration: FIG.11.TERRAMARA OF CASTELLAZZO DI FONTANELLATO] These Terremare bear a strong likeness to the later Italian town-planning, and they are usually taken to be the oldest discoverable traces of that system.