Page:Prehistoric Britain.djvu/160

 have been produced of such size as those with which some of the ancient shields and bucklers found in this country were covered. They would appear, therefore, to belong to quite the close of the Bronze Age, if not to the transitional period when iron was coming into use. There are, indeed, several bronze coverings of shields of elongated form, such as those from the rivers Witham and from the Thames, with decorations upon them, in which red enamel plays a part, that have been found associated with the iron swords of what Mr. Franks has termed the Late Celtic Period. Those, however, which appear to have a better claim to a place in these pages are of a circular form." (Bronze Implements, etc., p. 343.)

The use of war-trumpets among Celtic races has been often referred to by classical writers, but only a few instruments which can be classed in this category have been found in Britain. In Ireland they are more numerous. They were made either in a solid casting of bronze, or in sections by riveting tubes of sheet metal together. They are classified into two varieties according as the aperture for blowing the trumpet was at the end or side.

Ornaments.—The knowledge of the working of bronze gave a great impetus to the development of personal ornaments and toilet trinkets. Being an attractive metal to the eye, it was readily seized upon for the manufacture of armlets, necklaces, diadems, rings,