A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



man's burying places are known in Northamptonshire, nor have any 

 traces of his dwelling places been found in the county, though it is 

 possible that the camps at Borough Hill and Arbury Hill in Thenford 

 parish and Rainsborough Camp might have been constructed in 

 Neolithic times. All that we can say from his remains which have 

 been found in this county is that he wandered about probably in 

 somewhat scanty numbers. Judging from the positions of the finds of 

 his weapons, etc., may we not conjecture that he proceeded much 

 upon the same general lines as the exploring Englishman of to-day, 

 that is, skirting the edges of the forests, keeping a good deal to the 

 river courses, and avoiding as much as possible the colder districts .? 



The Bronze Age 



In this country the transition from the Stone to the Bronze age 

 is marked by the occupation of Britain by a fresh race of men who 

 invaded and conquered the Neolithic people, and who, if they did not 

 actually bring the knowledge of bronze with them, were soon after in 

 full possession of it. These men were taller than the preceding race, 

 averaging for the adult man 5 feet 8 inches in height ; their skulls 

 were rounder and their faces more angular ; they are supposed to be 

 of Celtic origin, the first of successive waves of Celtic immigration. 

 Among the objects that belong to the Bronze period are daggers, and 

 later the leaf-shaped swords and spearheads, sickles and celts, which 

 show a regular course of evolution from the oldest types to a highly 

 effective socketed celt, as it is probable that the earliest bronze types 

 were copied from the Neolithic stone celts. 



The Bronze age in Britain has been divided by Sir John Evans 

 into three stages, the first of which is characterized by the flat or 

 slightly flanged celts and knife daggers often found in barrows, with 

 implements of stone. The second contains the heavier dagger blades 

 and tanged spearheads and daggers. The third stage is represented by 

 the presence of palstaves and socketed celts, and the leaf-shaped spear- 

 heads and swords. In this last group he also places the hoards of 

 broken bronze material which have been discovered in England, and 

 which denote the trade of a travelling bronze smith. Judging by the 

 number of these hoards and by the variety of form of the swords, 

 spearheads, celts and other tools, he assigns a duration of about 

 500 years to this stage ; and the two earlier stages, he thinks, probably 

 occupied an equal length, giving a total for the whole Bronze period 

 in this country of some ten centuries, from B.C. 1200 or 1400 to 

 B.C. 200-400. The pottery belonging to this age is that which is 

 generally connected with burials ; it was all made by hand, and is 

 usually grouped as follows : — 



(i) Cinerary urns, for holding the ashes of the dead after cre- 

 mation. These vary in height from 5 inches to 30 inches, and differ 

 considerably in form and ornamentation. Some have an overlapping 



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