A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



true the ornament in the form of pellets and ribs on the sides may have 

 been a method of strengthening the implement at the point where it 

 specially required rigidity. 



Another socketed celt, found at Lakenheath, has on the sides three lines of 

 rather oval pellets, terminating in ring ornaments. Between them are plain 



ribs terminating in small circular pellets. This speci- 

 men is in the British Museum. 



The celt from Mildenhall here shown has three 

 curved ribs on each side arranged in a 

 way which suggests survival in form of 

 the bent-over flanges or wings of the 

 earlier types of implements. 



A palstave found at Honington is 

 ornamented with a kind of shield. In 

 some cases this shield is divided into two 

 halves by a line carried through it from 

 apex to base, but in the Honington 

 example this line is not present. It is 

 a curious feature, but comparative study 

 shows that it is related to the vertical 

 ribs which are found on many palstaves. 

 A fragment of a similar palstave, labelled 

 ' part of a bronze spear-head,' is in the 

 Museum at Ipswich, and presumably it 

 was found in Suffolk. 



Two leaf-shaped swords found at 

 Barrow,' near Bury St. Edmunds, are of particular value from the fact 

 that they were found under circumstances which indicate, if they do not 

 prove, association with a burial. The discovery was made in 1850 or 1851 

 by workmen. The swords, one of which measured 26J in. in length, lay 

 two or three feet below the surface. The evidences go to show that the 

 associated burial was unburnt. Of these two swords, one is now in the 

 Museum at Bury St. Edmunds. 



The bronze swords procured at Barrow show a good 

 deal of refinement of form. There is in the Cambridge 

 Museum of Archaeology a fragment of another fine leaf- 

 shaped sword-blade found at Mildenhall. 



In the Archaeological Museum in Christchurch Park, 

 Ipswich, there are socketed spear-heads of bronze from 

 Felixstowe and Nacton Heath, and palstaves and socketed 

 celts from Mildenhall (several), Baylham, Bromeswell, 

 Hadleigh, and Stowmarket. One bronze celt in this 

 collection which is of special interest from its thick, unorna- 



TALSTAVE FOUND AT ,- /I'-i-i ri 



Honington mented torm (a characteristic of the early part or the 



Celt found at 

 Lakenheath 



Celt found at 

 Mildenhall 



• Proc. Bury and W. Suff. Arch. Inst, vi, 185-6. It is worthy of note that another leaf-shaped bronze sword 

 was found buried about 2 ft. 6 in. deep under similar circumstances, and doubtless in connexion with an inter- 

 ment, at Chippenham (in East>Cambs.), quite close to Barrow. The Rev. Canon Greenwell, F.R.S., to whom 

 this discovery has been referred, feels considerable doubt as to the suggested association of the swords with 

 a burial. 



268 



