EARLY MAN 



Barnard Castle. — A scpulcliral urn was found here which is now in the British Museum. 



Brandon. — Socketed axe. 



Broomyholme. — A circular bronze shield with central boss was discovered there, but the finder, 



who was unaware of its archaeological value, in order to gratify his friends, cut it up like a 



cake and sent to each a slice. The greater part is preserved in the Museum of the Society of 



Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is of the usual type of the British shields of the 



time, the face covered with concentric, alternate bands of raised ribs and of rows of dots. 

 Chester i.e Street. — A bronze axe was found at this place and is now in the Museum of the 



Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

 Durham City. — A flat copper celt which was found here is now in the British Museum. It is of 



the early type, and the composition of the metal, as shown by analysis by Professor Gowland, 



contains only a very slight proportion of tin. 

 EsHwooD NEAR Flass. — Flanged axe. 

 Fawnless near VVolsingham. — Flanged axe. 

 Harton. — Socketed celt or axe-head, found on the Trow Rocks. It has one loop and longitudinal 



ribbed ornamentation. (Information from Mr. Robert Blair, F.S.A.) 

 Houghton le Spring, Copt Hill. — An urn 13 inches high, containing burnt bones, and a flint 



scraper, found in a barrow, are now in the British Museum. The rim of the urn is decorated 



with oblique incised lines. 

 Howden-le-Wear. — Looped palstave, now in the British Museum. 

 HuRBUCK, near Lanchester. — Two stone moulds for casting the plain flat axes were found here. 



They are both about the same size (ji inches by 5:^ inches and 3 inches thick) and each contains 



the hollows for casting three axes, two on one face and one on the other. The largest axe 



would have been 6 inches long and 4f inches wide at the cutting edge, the smallest 2f inches 



long and 1^ inches wide. 

 Medomsley. — Lycaf-shape bronze sword, accompanied by two rings used in connection with the 



belt. Several bronze articles were also found at another place near Medomsley. 

 MoRDEN Carr. — Socketed axe. 

 Piercebridge. — Flanged axe. 

 South Shields. — A flint knife found with an unburnt body in a cist at the Trow Rocks, Westoe, 



near South Shields, is now in the British Museum. 

 Sunderland, Hilton (in river). — Socketed axe. 

 Teesdale, Holwick. — In the British Museum there are two jet beads approximately square in 



form, and ornamented with series of dots or short dashes arranged in parallel lines so as to 



occupy spaces of somewhat elongated lozenge shape. 

 Trimdon Grange, Trimdon. — Fragment of cinerary urn found in a barrow, and now preserved 



in the Greenwell Collection at the British Museum. 

 River Tees, opposite Middlesbrough. — A leaf-shape sword with long slot in handle-plate and 



four rivet-holes for attachment to handle. 

 River Tyne, below Newcastle. — An extremely fine bronze sword (27^ inches long and i^ inches 



wide), the broad tang or handle-pLue being pierced with eight holes for securing the handle ; 



now in the Greenwell Collection at Durham. A very similar sword, found in the Tyne at 



Newcastle, is now in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

 River Tyne, King's Meadows, above Newcastle. — A socketed spear-head, with two lunate 



openings in the blade : also a massive dagger (13 inches long) with three rivets and two narrow 



ribs running the entire length, one on each side of the curved midrib. 

 River Tyne, Newcastle. — A beautifully shaped rapier blade (19^ inches long), with pronounced 



narrow midrib, and two small nicks for attachment to the handle : also a well-shaped rapier 



blade (15^^ inches long). Two rivets in handle-plate. 

 River Tyne, above Newcastle Bridge. — Large spear-head. 

 River Wear, north shore, at Claxheugh, above Sunderland. — A rapier blade, with two rivet 



holes in the handle-plate. 



Barrows and other Sepulchral Deposits 



The prehistoric burials in the county of Durham, as is the case with the 

 implements, weapons, and other traces of early man, appear to belong almost 

 entirely to the age of bronze, but the burial mound at Copt Hill, Houghton 

 le Spring, was originally a neolithic barrow, with secondary interments 

 belonging to the bronze age introduced. 



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