EARLY MAN 



researches of the late Sir A. Wollaston Franks,' Mr. Charles H. Read^ 

 and Mr. J. Romilly Allen.^ 



Broadly speaking the Brythons, who imported the knowledge of 

 iron, still used personal ornaments of gold, and horse-trappings, etc. 

 of bronze, whilst iron was used for weapons and implements of various 

 kinds. Objects of this character, which have generally been discovered 

 as hoards or in association with interments, are usually decorated with 

 ornaments of a remarkable and peculiarly elegant character, consisting in 

 the main of spirals and trumpet-shaped forms the source of which is 

 involved in some obscurity. 



The. remains of this interesting period which immediately preceded 

 the advent of the Romans are, as far as Norfolk is concerned, but few 

 in number and only locally important. A discovery of horse-trappings 

 consisting of enamelled ornament or harness, buckles and rings was made 

 many years since at Saham Toney, one mile north-west of Walton. An 

 account of it, with an engraving which hardly does justice to the objects, 

 was published by the Norfolk and Norwich Archaological Society in 

 1849,* but at that time the age of the objects was not appreciated. 

 Another Late Celtic discovery was made at Caister between two and 

 three miles south of Norwich. This was a bronze fibula ° but further 

 details are not obtainable. There is one other object found in Norfolk 

 which is probably of Late Celtic workmanship. This is a pot nearly 

 10 inches high made of beaten bronze and shaped much like the coarse 

 domestic ware in common use by the Britons at and for some time after 

 the coming of the Romans. The pot which was acquired by the 

 Trustees of the British Museum in 1900, is described as having been 

 found at Mundesley 1 3 feet deep in gravel, and was therefore probably 

 associated with an interment. Several coarse earthen pots of similar 

 form but of larger size have been found at Silchester." 



Coins of the Ancient Britons 



Coins of the prehistoric period have been found in several parts of 

 Norfolk. They appear to be in most if not all cases feeble imitations of 

 the beautiful pieces struck by Philip II. of Macedon in the fourth cen- 

 tury B.C. These were impressed on the obverse with the laureate head 

 of Apollo, and on the reverse with the representation, skilfully delineated, 

 of a charioteer standing in a biga which was drawn by two horses, and 

 inscribed underneath with the name of the famous king by whom they 

 were struck. 



The design seems to have been universally admired, and was 

 repeatedly copied on subsequent coins. In fact it was copied so much 



* Hora Ferales, the standard work on Late Celtic art. 



* Pari. Return on Celtic Ornaments found in Ireland, 1899, p. 8. 



3 Notes on Late Celtic Art, Archieohgia Cambrensis, 5th sen xiii. pp. 212-32, 321-36, etc. 



* Norfolk Anhaology, ii. pp. 398-400 ; Archteologia Cambrensis, 5th ser. xiii. p. 327. 

 5 Of. cit. p. 327. 



•^ Archaologia, Ivii. p. 97, fig. 3, central pot in the group. 

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