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/5



the early part of the last year a remarkable golden ornament, of a type, as far as I am aware, hitherto unpublished, was found on the Chiltern Hills, on the estates of Robert Fox, Esq., in the parish of Wendover. By the kind permission of that gentleman this relic of antiquity was exhibited at one of the meetings of the Institute: and my thanks are now due to him for enabling me to record the following particulars regarding the discovery.

It is an armilla, which, as shown by the representation here given (No. 1.), is of the class of ornaments hearing resemblance to certain forms of the torc, composed of one or more bars or wires of metal wreathed or twisted together. The name torc has, however, been generally used to designate collars and ornaments for the neck, the varieties of which have been so ably classified by Mr. Birch in previous volumes of this Journal.

This curious torc-armilla, if I may be permitted to use the term, now under consideration, is a wreath of four threads, composed of two rounded bars of considerable thickness, with two twisted wires, of much slighter dimensions, wound spirally between them. The whole is very skilfully wreathed together, and welded into one piece at the extremities, which taper towards a point, and are cut off obtusely without any indication of a hook or fastening. The weight of the bracelet is 4 oz. 12 dwts.

This beautiful ornament, according to the information kindly communicated by Mr. Fox, was found on May 24, 1848, upon a farm in his possession, in that part of the parish of Wendover, called Wendover Dean, and in the occupation of Mr. James Olliff. One of his labourers named Charles Rockell, employed in ploughing, observed the gold glittering on the ridge of his fresh-turned furrow: he picked