Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/38

24 especially two highly finished flint knives, a beautifully formed stone hammer head, two urns, and a ball formed of hornblende schist, exhibiting six circular faces with hollows between; which greatly resembles a ball engraved in Wilson's Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, (p. 139).

The Museum has also acquired several bronze celts as well as specimens of the metal found with such implements, viz. one from Welwyn in Hertfordshire, presented by Mr. W. Blake; several found at Chrishall or Elmdon in Essex; a few from Farley Heath, Surrey; and a lump of metal found with celts at Westwick Row in Hertfordshire, presented by Mr. John Evans. In all these cases, the celts appear to be either unfinished or imperfectly cast, as if they were found on the spot where they had been manufactured. The same was the case in the discoveries of bronze implements at Carlton Rode, Norfolk; Westow, Yorkshire; Romford, Essex;West Halton, Lincolnshire; and in the Isle of Alderney. Most of the latter were found accompanied by lumps of metal which had been assumed to be the residuum of the melting-pot. On examining, however, the specimens acquired by the Museum and enumerated above, the metal will be seen to be pure copper; and it suggests that the makers of the celts, which are bronze, must have themselves mixed in the tin as required, contrary to what is mentioned of the Britons by Cæsar; "Ære utuntur importato." It would be well to examine all metallic substances found with such remains, as the lumps of tin would perhaps be discovered in company with the copper.

We are indebted to the Hon. W. Owen Stanley for some interesting bronze objects found in the Island of Anglesey: they are very similar to Irish gold ornaments in their form, and were found on a spot known as the "Irishmen's huts. " I should also mention some gold ornaments consisting of a cupped ring, string of beads, and three counterfeit cleft-rings of ancient date, all found in Ireland, as well as several celts of rare form.

A very interesting addition was made to later Celtic antiquities by the kindness of Mr. Thomas Gray of Liver-