NOTES ON BRONZE. 43 



of a grey tone, and by some have been pronounced to be pure 

 tin. Canon Greenwell, however, when here some months ago, 

 would not hear of this. Still, the entire absence of any trace of 

 copper colour seems to show that the percentage of other metal, 

 probably tin, is unusually great. It is possible, however, that 

 there may be some lead, as the celts in question on being 

 weighed do not seem to be especially light. It is believed that 

 celts of this sort of metal are very rare. In passing from this part 

 of the subject, the various alloying ingredients used with copper, 

 we may note by the way that of late years it has been found that 

 a percentage of phosphorus in bronze adds greatly to its strength 

 and elasticity. There is no sign of the ancients having stumbled 

 on that fine alloy, aluminium bronze, as they did on brass. 



A few words must now be said about certain differences of 

 colour in bronze other than those above-named as arising from 

 differences of alloy. The varied colours now in question are 

 believed to arise from differences in the soils in which ancient 

 bronze relics have lain for ages. For instance the patina varies. 

 This, however, as we saw above, can be caused by metallic 

 combinations. Still, we may believe the assertion that soil has 

 much to do with the greater or less amount of oxidization, 

 producing much or little patina. In some specimens, e.g., 

 Case xiiitf., 30, 32, 33, the patina is very abundant and bright in 

 colour. In others there is a little, but what there is is like in 

 hue. There are, however, two specimens of which the colour is 

 quite different. There is hardly any patina, and the metal is 

 brown, but not the same in the two. One is a very fine dagger, 

 xiii. 28, the other is an armlet, xiii. 60. Now these things, 

 especially the armlet, have a yellow metallic-looking coating in 

 places. This looks very much like a relic of gilding. If so one 

 might think that the brown, exposed surface may have escaped 

 oxidization through the protection of the gilding, lasting, as it 

 doubtless would do, for ages. But the experts, e.g., Sir J. Evans 

 and Canon Greenwell, affirm that this look of gilding is quite 

 deceptive. If, as is supposed, it is the effect of the quality of 

 soil in contact with the bronze, what soil ? It has been said, but 



