A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE
A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE made fast is not quite easy to see, as the studs do not come exactly opposite one another on the two faces, and it would seem as if the hole through which the rivet joining them passes is in a diagonal direction. This feature, i.e. the presence of the gold studs, has not hitherto been found on any spear-head of the Bronze Age ; similar studs, however, occur upon a stone bracer in the British Museum, which was found at DrifKeld, East Riding, Yorkshire. Below the wings have been originally two loops of triangular section, only one of which now remains. ' Apart from the special interest of this spear-head as an unusual and artistic production of the Bronze Age, it has the additional interest of showing how the socketed spear-head was evolved from the sword- like weapon which has been called, not very happily, a rapier. This weapon has the same form as the blade of the spear-head before us, although usually with a different form of mid-rib ; but if the socket be taken away it will be found that in outline it exactly resembles some of the many rapiers figured in Sir John Evans's and other works, and that the two gold studs on either face are the survival of the rivet-heads which fixed the handle to the weapon.' * For tumuli and barrows and the interesting remains associated with them, we must refer the reader to the article on Ancient Earth- works. A canoe or ' dug-out ' of oak, made from a single tree-trunk, was found in Bagnor Marsh, near Newbury, some years ago. It was about 9 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide. 2 Such canoes are associated with the Swiss lake-dwellings of the Stone Age ; but in this case there is nothing by which the age can be precisely determined. Other discoveries of objects not specially referred to here will be noticed in the topographical list at the end of this article. THE PREHISTORIC IRON AGE The Age of Iron followed the Age of Bronze just as the latter succeeded the Age of Stone ; but for several reasons it is impossible to say precisely when the Iron Age commenced in Britain. The discovery of iron, however, seems to have been brought to our shores by the Brythons, a branch of the Celtic people from whom is derived the name of Britain for this island. Probably manufactured articles of the new metal were first introduced in the ordinary course of trade, but there is good reason to believe that iron was produced and worked in Britain long before the period of the Roman occupation.' By far the most important discovery of antiquities of the Early Iron Age made in the county is the Hagbourne Hill ' find,' which has been briefly described in Archceologia! Mr. Ebenezer King, F.S.A., who i Mr. R. E. Goolden, F.S.A., into whose possession this fine spear-head came, has arranged for it to be transferred to the British Museum. 1 Trans. Newbury Dist. Field Club, iv. 205. B.M. Guide to Antiq. of the Early Iron Age, p. 4. 4 Arch. xvi. 348-9. 186
