Page:VCH Worcestershire 1.djvu/227

 EARLY MAN implements, but is of a twofold character. There is evidence (i) as to their weapons and implements, (2) and also as to their customs. (i) The finds of weapons indicate that the Goidel invaders followed the line of the Avon from Warwickshire to the Severn. All along its course from where it enters the county to about the middle of its passage through Worcestershire traces of the Goidels have been found. From Harvington comes a bronze celt, from Church Lench a bronze palstave, from Aldington a stone bracer, from Evesham, Sedgeberrow, Cropthorne and Defford bronze celts. All these places are on or near the Avon, and show that the Goidels occupied the upper part of the Avon valley. In the Severn valley implements of the Bronze age have been found at various places, mostly at spots near where some of the old tracks are supposed to have crossed the river. At Dowles above Bewdley a bronze axe was found in 1899 when excavating the river drift for the Birming- ham waterworks. Other finds are at Bewdley, three looped bronze palstaves and a socketed bronze gouge. At Astley a bronze looped palstave. At Holt a looped bronze celt. At Ombersley a ringed pal- stave. At Worcester a socketed and looped celt ; a bronze spearhead at Kempsey. Another spearhead near the old ford at Pixham. It is curious that nothing so far as is known has been found in the Severn below Pixham, but it may be because the tracks that crossed the river lower down were fewer and less frequented than those that crossed higher up ; at all events further evidence is required on the point how it is that all the implements that had been found both in the Avon and the Severn have been discovered in the upper and middle parts of the courses of those rivers and not in the lower portions. It may possibly be that at this date the lower portion had not silted up, but remained large tidal streams practically unfordable. So far as the Severn goes it might have been expected that more things would have been found in the lower reaches of the river because they have been dredged out to a uniform depth for navigation purposes in recent years. (2) When the Goidels invaded the country they had reached that stage of civilization at which their dead were disposed of by burning. After burning, the charred bones were placed in an urn or vessel which was buried, sometimes with and sometimes without other articles. Two interments said to be of the Bronze age have been found in the county, one in the Avon valley in a gravel pit at Charlton near Cropthorne, where an urn containing charred bones was found some 6 feet below the surface. A bronze celt is said to have been found near it. The other on the summit of the Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point of the Malvern range, where in 1849 the engineers engaged on the ordnance survey found in the ground an urn containing half-charred bones. This would probably be the grave of some great chief placed in a spot from which it was believed he could watch the movements of his inveterate foes. The inferences from the finds confirm the evidence derived from the interments, that for some time a portion of the county certainly was 183