A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



boss, the latter being attached to the wooden framework by five circular 

 studs. There was no trace of a leather facing, and the ' war-board ' had 

 apparently been constructed of seven or more narrow strips, about | in. thick, 

 held together by a dozen slight iron cramps | in, long, six being found in 

 position. Another grave in the same direction, 12 ft. to the north-east, 

 contained a spear-head, and a third 21 ft. south-west proved to be that of a 

 woman, buried in the east and west position. This was carefully excavated 

 with interesting results. At the head was a large flint, and on the left of the 

 waist an iron knife and iron ' girdle-hanger ' in the form of a double hook, 

 just above these being a bronze clasp with remains of woollen fabric adhering. 

 On the breast a similar clasp, with more cloth and plentiful traces of wood, 

 which suggested the busks of a bodice. At the neck was a gilt bronze cruci- 

 form brooch 51 in, long, with remains of cloth of two qualities, and on 

 either side a penannular brooch, while under the chin was a necklace of 

 amber, glass-paste, and rock-crystal beads, arranged in threes separated by 

 single beads of large size. Another large brooch had stained the left ulna, 

 and the body had been protected by planks and coarse wheat straw. It was 

 further noticed that the large brooch at the neck was without a pin at the 

 back, and had been sewn on to a twill garment of open texture, the broken 

 wings of the head being thus kept in position. Further, the wings of the 

 head were not cast in one piece with the stem, but added, and kept in position 

 by an iron rod passing through a shank behind each, and by a third behind 

 the head of the brooch, much like a specimen found in Rutland." 



Farther east, on the other side of the road, the graves of two children 

 were discovered, little remaining but two small urns of black hand-made 

 pottery (like those found by Mr. Fenton), half a gilt clasp, a few amber 

 beads, and three bronze ferrules (possibly worn on a necklace) , There were 



no signs of cremation here, and the 

 pottery consisted merely of accessory 

 vessels placed in the grave possibly 

 to contain offerings to the dead. 



A tinned bronze badge in the 

 form of a fish (fig. 9), the third 



Fig. 9.— Bronze Badge (?) of Fish Form, Warren specimen in England, WaS found 



Hill, Mildenhall {{) at Warren Hill, and is now in 



Mr. Fenton's possession. One came 

 from Kenninghall, just beyond the northern border of the county,*' and 

 the other from Kempston, Bedford." All are from recognized Anglo- 

 Saxon burying-places, the Suffolk specimen having been found with half a 

 bracelet clasp, in what was doubtless an interment ; and all agree so closely 

 in shape and dimensions that there can be no question as to their common 

 origin and purpose. What the latter was is, however, not quite certain, but 

 the rivets point to their use as badges, perhaps on the front of the shield, and 

 it is just possible that this form was chosen in allusion to the Early Christian 

 use of the fish as a symbol of Christianity, the letters of the Greek word for 

 fish being the initials of a Christian confession of faith." 



" Pro. Soc. An/if. xix, 196 ; KC.H. Rut. i, 102. «» F.C.H. Norf. i, 34,0. 



" y.C.H. Beds, i, 183 (with fig.). 



" O. M. Dalton, Guide to Early Christiai: ord Byzantine Antiq. (Brit. Mus.), 16. 



342 



