18 
Thursday, December 15th, 1904. Sir Samuel Wilks, Bt., 
F.R.S., President, in the chair. 
Professor W. Boyd Dawkins, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S., gave a 
lecture on ‘‘ The Incoming of the Brythons into Britain.’’ The 
lecturer said the people of whom he was to speak were those to 
whom we owed the name of Britain, and the story of their coming 
was one reaching back far beyond written records, and one which 
gave a clear idea of the successive races in the prehistoric times. 
The history of this country started from 54 B.c., but they had 
records which spoke of this country as far back as 335 B.c. The 
history of Egypt and Assyria was in full swing and splendour 
when the people in Europe were in the prehistoric age. The 
lecturer then referred to the Neolithic period, the age when metals 
were unknown for purposes of instruments and weapons, and 
showed lantern slides of a number of interesting stone axes, etc., 
found in chambered tombs discovered near St. Asaph. He also 
spoke of the coming of the Iberic Stock in the Neolithic Age, and 
of the Goidelic Stock in the later Bronze Age, and showed traces 
of the culture of these people in the present names of various places 
in the country. These people lived in Wales, all through Ireland, 
and all through the Orkney Islands, as was shown by the discoveries 
made of their temples, burying grounds, etc. In the Bronze 
Age the Brythons mingled with the Iberians, whom they had 
conquered, and formed practically one population. The lecturer 
then spoke of many interesting discoveries of Brythonic villages, 
in particular of the Lake Village near Glastonbury, and showed 
many pictures of implements which had been found belonging to 
this age, together with a number of fine specimens of the potter’s 
art. He also mentioned that among other finds at this village 
was that of dice of the period, which were discovered to be loaded, 
and a spur which had evidently belonged to a game-cock, showing 
that, although the people were industrious, they were also of a 
sporting tendency. Coins had also been found which belonged to 
a period some time before the Roman Conquest. There had also” 
been similar finds at Northampton and Canterbury. The beginning 
of civilization in this country dated from these people, and they 
could trace the successive races up to the present British people. 
In the ethnology of this country they could not trace any evidence 
of,the Roman or Italian. 
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