4 sra joHjr evans — the bronze age. 



The question has arisen — T^Tience did the ancients, whether here, 

 or in Egypt, or elsewhere, derive their tin ? The Egyptians, in 

 all probability, obtained it from the East. Here, not improbably, 

 the tin was procured from Cornwall, where we know that there 

 was an early commerce for tin, even in Phoenician times. 



Homer gives an account of bronze casting; that is to say, he 

 gives an account of men throwing into the fire the indomitable 

 copper, and tin with it. The properties of the alloys of copper 

 and tin are very remarkable ; a certain amount of tin, up to ten 

 per cent., adds materially to the hardness of the metal, without 

 injuiing its malleability. When, however, the mixture contains a 

 larger proportion, 30 or 40 per cent., of the softer and more readily 

 fusible metal, the result is a very hard and very brittle alloy. 

 We employ such an alloy for the specula of telescopes, and it is 

 known as speculum metal. But the old bronze-founders seem to 

 have been aware of the fact that the addition of a greater pro- 

 portion than usual of the softer metal hardened the copper, and 

 we find hammers and other tools made of this instead of ordinary 

 bronze. 



In treating this subject on the present occasion I prefer to 

 regard it from the technological point of view. I will describe 

 most of the different forms of weapons and instiTiments, more 

 particularly those found in the British Isles, though I may 

 occasionally touch upon those found on the continent of Europe. 

 In Britain we have a considerable number of tools which were used 

 in the arts of peace, some of which, however, were also applicable 

 for the purposes of war; but we have in addition others which 

 were certainly used as weapons of war, and there are certain 

 remains which were strictly personal ornaments. 



As to the methods of manufacturing the different forms, and the 

 way in which they were produced, I will speak subsequently ; 

 I think it well now to give some general view of the different 

 forms of weapons, implements, and ornaments found in this 

 country. Besides the diagrams shown on the walls I have brought 

 a selection of specimens, which may be inspected after the lecture. 



The first and simplest form is that known as a celt. Celt is a very 

 improper word to have ever been used in connection with a tool 

 of this kind, for " celt" in English is derived from the Latin word 

 celtis, and that only occurs once in the Book of Job, in the Vulgate 

 translation, and is, moreover, merely an error in transcription. But 

 it is supposed to mean a chisel, coming from ccdare, to carve, the 

 pi'cjper word being ccehim, and that being confused with the word 

 cerium, "the heavens," the word celtis has been preserved and used 

 as the name for these bronze implements. There are various forms 

 of these celts. One, as will be seen from Fig. 1, was perfectly 

 plain, having its sides and face nearly smooth and flat, and some- 

 what curved longitudinally from end to end; another (Fig. 2) 

 will be noticed as having flanges, not unlike the modern rail of 

 the railway ; another, known as a palstave, was furnished with a 

 groove on either side ending in a well-defined stop -ridge and with 



