40 Antiquities from the Stewaktry. 



FC 171 is a very remarkable little object. It is of bronze, 

 a square vessel 2i in. by 2^ in., and just half an inch thick ; at two 

 opposite corners are small loops, by which the little bottle has 

 been suspended, and at the upper angle between these is the 

 remains of a narrow neck. Though much corroded, the flat face 

 of one side bears traces of a square check pattern, while the sides 

 have all been beautifully decorated with interlaced work, a com- 

 bination of a pair of cords, each forming a series of loops facing 

 alternately to right and left, derived from a six cord plait. This 

 pattern is No. 551 in the list of Celtic interlaced work designs 

 reproduced in Mr Romilly Alien's great work on the Ornamenta- 

 tion of the Sculptured Stones of Scotland, now printing. The same 

 pattern occurs on the Hunters ton Brooch, and on stones in three 

 localities in Scotland — Papil, Meigle, and lona — and in seven 

 localities in England. This rare little bronze vessel was found at 

 Barr of Spottes : and, in view of there having once existed an old 

 church thereabouts, the surmise may not be amiss that this'was an 

 Inkbottle used by some of the monks. 



Of Gold Ornaments there is but one specimen from the 

 Stewartry, FE IG, a thick plain ring, weighing 1 oz. 8 dwt., and 

 measuring i^ of ^" moki inside, the metal being nearly j^ in. 

 thick. It was found at the Parish Church of Kirkimtrick-Durham 

 and claimed as treasure trove. A single ring Qi Jet, FN 1, comes 

 from Dairy, presented by Mr Copland in 1782. It measures 4Hn. 

 diameter, and was found in a moss ; and in the Roman and British 

 Section, FR 224, represents the only find, in its way, however, a 

 very fine thing. Its beautifully modelled head of Medusa, and 

 the other devices it bears, make this handle of a bronze vessel a 

 valuable relic. It was found at Cairnholly, Kirkmabreck, under 

 what special circumstances is not known, and presented, along 

 with many other valuable relics, by Sir IT. E. Maxwell in 1889. 



In the collection of relics found in the famous Borness Bone 

 Cave, in Borgue, the Museum has a good index of the species of 

 objects belonging to this period of man's occupation of Scotland. 

 The separate objects are numbered in the catalogue HN 1-179, 

 and comprise masses of breccia with i^ieces of skull and other 

 bones adherent, a large number of animals' bones, ^.^., those of the 

 red deer and the badger being specially interesting ; several 

 whetstones and polishers ; an implement of flint 1^ in. by \ in.. 



