EARLY MAN
EARLY MAN brought the objects to the notice of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1808, writes : ' In the spring of the year 1803, in a common field on Hagbourne Hill, between that village and Chilton, in the county of Berks, adjoining the Ickleton way, on the south side of it, several oblong pits were discovered at the depth of about four feet from the surface of the ground, being in length seven feet, and three in breadth. One of these pits had a circular excavation at the bottom, of about one foot and a half in diameter, in which were deposited the articles I have sent, together with others that I have not been able to procure a sight of. Amongst the latter were several large rings of brass, resembling dog-collars, and some coins, of which I could obtain no other information than that one of them was silver, and the other gold, the latter of which was large and flat, and perhaps of the lower empire. The chain now produced, which appears to me the most interesting part of the collection, had, when discovered, a centre ring, and another at one end of it, similar to that which is now attached to it, but both of these were broken by the workmen in digging it up. The centre ring had four studs or checks upon it, to keep it from turning quite round ; the outside ones only two. As no more rings or links were found in or near the hole, it is likely that the chain, as now described, was in its original form ; and from its shape and execution, which is certainly of a superior kind, was probably destined to no very common use.' The plate which accompanies this description gives information of a more precise and intelligible character. It shows portions of two horse-bits of similar make to that found at Arras ' in the East Riding of Yorkshire ; two pins, one straight with seal-like head, the other with a well-developed and perforated head, the pin itself being bent into a kind of shoulder a little below the head ; two rings of bronze and iron, the chief parts being of bronze with elaborate decoration in the form of fairly large knobs or beads, and the larger ring having seven of these knobs and the smaller six 2 ; a socketed celt in bronze furnished with one loop, and three socketed lance-heads or arrow-heads with two loops. The last-named are of small size, and two of them are imperfect. Another socketed celt was found at Hagbourne Hill in 1893, and was exhibited at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries by Mr. W. H. Richardson, F.S.A., who described it as a small but very perfect specimen, 3^ inches long by 2^ inches wide, measured across at the points of the cutting edge. It weighs io| ounces, and the mouth has a distinctly square form with rounded angles. The collar is relieved by twin headings with a larger one between, and below is the usual loop. Mr. Richardson is no doubt right in his suggestion that it exhibits features which are found in a common Irish type of celt, and 1 Davis & Thurnam, Crania Britannica, ii. 2 This particular kind of Late Celtic ornament is evidently derived from a string of concave and convex beads arranged alternately. About one-third part of the ring is formed of iron. They present a curious similarity to the ' beaded ' torques found elsewhere. See J. Romilly Allen, Celtic Art in Pagan and Christian Times, 112. I8 7
