Page:Ancient armillae of gold recently found in Buckinghamshire and in North Britain; with notices of ornaments of gold discovered in the British Islands (IA b31941461).pdf/10

8 I regret my inability to state of what form were the gold armillæ found in ground, recently cleared of wood, in the parish of Little Amwell, Herts; they were exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries, June 13, 1816, by Charles Stokes, Esq., F.S.A. The weight of one was 2 oz. 8 dwt. 3 grs.; of the other, 2 oz. 2 dwt. 12 grs.

From the ancient territories of the Cattieuchlani, we now turn to the remote eastern shores of North Britain, and the exquisite golden ornaments recently there found. Whilst I was occupied in seeking examples analogous to the armlet communicated to the Institute by Mr. Fox, a pair of very beautiful armillæ of another type were most kindly entrusted to me by Mr. Richard Dundas, of Arniston; my acknowledgment is also due to Mr. Patrick Chalmers, of Auldbar, and Mr. Cosmo Innes, through whose friendly communications and mediation I have been permitted to examine these precious relics. I have the gratification of giving a representation of one of these armlets (No. 3.), drawn by the skilful hand of Mr. Henry Shaw, F.S.A. They were found at Largo, in Fifeshire, and Mr. Dundas, on whose family estates the discovery occurred, has favoured me with the following particulars:—“Largo is on the south coast of Fifeshire, at the head of a bay, well sheltered from the north and east winds, and affording the only safe anchorage for small vessels in that neighbourhood. From its position, near the mouth of the Frith of Forth, with the advantage of a good anchorage, it may probably have been a favourite landing-place of the Northern freebooters. The gold bracelets were found last winter (1848) on the top of a steep bank, which slopes down to the sea, among some loose earth, which was being dug to be carted away. The soil is sandy, and the men had dug about three feet deep, where the bracelets lay. It was at a place close to the sea-shore, called the Temple, which is part of the village of Lower Largo. An old woman, who has lived close to the spot all her days, says that in her youth some coffins were found there, and one man was supposed to have found a treasure, having suddenly become rich enough to build a house.”

These beautiful ornaments are formed of a thin plate or riband of gold, skilfully twisted, the spiral line being