Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/214

 196 AN ACCOUNT OF COINS AND TREASURE which the nortliero seamen had little or no intercourse, and also with which no oriental intercourse can be traced. Such however is not the case, and it is scarcely consistent with sound reasoning upon all the facts of the case, as far as they are at present known to us, to assign any but an oriental origin to those objects. There is one branch of evidence Avanting, necessary perhaps to entire conviction, which is the actual discovery of such objects in the east, or in those parts of Russia along which the oriental traders took their way when proceeding to meet the northern traders in Gothland. This evidence, it is expected that a better knowledge of Russian archaeology may produce, and it is with much hope and expectation that we look forward to the results of those examinations of Russian collections and investigations of Russian antiquities which will shortly be conducted upon the spot by JNIr. Worsaae, who has contributed so much to our knowledge of primeval remains by his admirable little work on the olden time of Denmark, and by whose experience and suggestions I have been greatly aided in forming the views set forth in this paper. The next class of objects, such as ligg. 88 et sqq., are of a totally different description and character ; they were probably hammered into shape, and the decorations appear to have been made by punches ; not however by repeated blows of the same punch producing a pattern by a methodical arrange- ment of the same forms, but by using a punch instead of a graver to produce unvaried ornaments resembling in some degree animal or vegetable productions, or forms which probably admitted of some symbolical interpretation. In fig. 90 may be seen four repetitions of some animal in the angles of a cross having triangular terminations to each limb,; if these forms are compared with the ornaments which decorate a beautiful gold and enamel ring or crown, bearing the name of Ethelwulf Rex, and now preserved in the British Museum, no doubt whatever will be entertained that the two articles were produced by a people who were actuated by the same motive, and directed by the same taste. Amongst the pieces found in the Island Falster, tab. ii. f. 8, is a circular object decorated with a trefoil ornament entirely resembling another of the forms which appears upon this ring of Ethelwulf. In fig. 90, and other similar fragments, will be observed forms which we immediately recognise as resembling those on the