13 
covery was made in Denmark in the year 1902. This discovery 
was communicated to the Society of Antiquaries by Mr. 
Smith, in December, 1903, in a paper in which he established 
the identity of the Irish discs with that found in Denmark, 
and the identification is such an interesting example of the 
light that is thrown on the more difficult questions of the early 
history of our civilisation by the comparative method of study, 
that I shall quote at some length from Mr. Smith’s paper :— 
‘““ A recent discovery in Denmark has not only added a most 
important item to the magnificent collection at Copenhagen, 
but has thrown a flood of light on a small series of Irish anti- 
quities in the British Museum, and on the connection between 
the two countries in ancient times. In September last year 
(1902) Trundholm Moss in the north of Zealand, was being 
brought under cultivation for the first time, and the plough 
struck the bronze horse of a sun-chariot, which was ultimately 
recovered almost entirely. There can be no doubt as to the 
nature of the find: the fact that intentional damage had been 
done before deposit shows that this was a votive offering.” 
Mr. Smith goes on to describe it as follows :—“ A disc, 
Io inches in diameter, of moulded bronze is fixed vertically 
in the centre of an axle, to which are attached two bronze 
wheels of four spokes, while in front is a bronze horse on 
four wheels, attached to the rear axle by a rigid bronze 
bar. The horse is cast hollow, and inside are the remains 
of the clay core and marks of the stays that kept the 
inner and outer parts of the mould asunder in casting. The 
eyes are filled with the resinous substance often used in 
Scandinavia for inlaying bronze during the early Bronze Age ; 
and the tail is provided with a socket which was, no doubt, 
originally filled with a horsehair continuation. The body of 
the car is well constructed, and the wheels which were made 
to revolve on the axles, are of the primitive form actually ~ 
recovered from the Swiss lake-dwellings. The Trundholm 
car has, however, two more wheels than the oldest examples of 
the kind known eleswhere.”’ Mr. Smith goes on to point out 
that the model of a fully manned boat, made of gold and silver 
which was found near Thebes, in the tomb of Queen Aahetep 
(the mother of Aahmes or Amasis) is also borne on a car with 
four bronze wheels each with four spokes, and a diameter 
about two-thirds of that of the Danish example. This is a 
remarkable parallel, and “‘ takes the idea of votive or cere- 
monial model cars back to about 1650 B.c.”’ 
