ANALYSIS OF ANTIQUE BRONZES. 89 



were found is not known. One of these swords was broken, 



the other entire. Their composition is the same. They are 



both covered with the green shining rust called patina. The 



sword in question weighs 17 ounces, and is 20 inches long; 



the blade l6f, and the hilt, which is ri vetted, 3{*. The 



blade is twoedged, and if inch broad for two thirds of its 



length, the other third sloping off to a round point. la 



the middle it is 3% lines thick, and slopes to form an edge 



on each side. Below the hilt, and on each side at the edge, 



is a part cut out 9 or 10 lines long, and 1 or 1 \ deep, the use 



of which I do not know. 



To find the colour and brightness of the blade, I ground 



it; and though the parts injured by the rust prevented me 



from restoring its original appearance, its colour and lustre 



were observable in some parts, and indicated considerable 



hardness and density. 



Its analysis in the way above mentioned gave the following ** composi- 



ticn. 

 proportions: copper 89, tin 11. 



To render the description and analysis of these antique Compared 



swords found in our country more interesting? by a compari- w ' tn lh _ ree . 

 • i i t \ m i • , 5 others futiod 



son with other weapons, 1 shall here give an abstract ot twoi n f ra a C e. 



excellent papers by Mr. Mongez in the 5th vol. of the Me- 

 moirs of the Institute, which contain a description and ana- 

 lysis of similar bronze swords found near Abbeville. One 

 was found under a bed of peat, with the skeletons of a man 

 and horse. Its whole length was 22 inches, the breadth of 

 the blade l6 lines, the weight 21 ounces. According to the 

 analysis of Mr. Darcet, it contained 15*53 tin, and 87*57 

 copper f. A second, which was found at the depth of 10 

 feet, in a calcareous tufa, was about 29 inches long, and 

 contained fifteen tin and 85 copper. The rivets that fast- 

 ened the outer part of the hilt contained but 5 per cent of 

 tin, becausedlthey required to be more flexible. A third 

 was 33 inches long, and found at the depth of nine feet iu 

 a bed of peat, by the side of the skeleton of a man, on the 

 head of which was a bronze helmet. This skeleton and 



* As I do not know, whether the measures in this paper be French or 

 German, they are left as in the French Journal. C. 



f One of these two numbers is ev;dently wrong, but I kaow not 

 which. C. 



several 



