ON A BEACELET (ARMILLA) OF SUPPOSED SAXON 

 WOEKMANSHIP. 



(BY JAS. BUCKMAN, ESQ., F.G.S., F.L.S., &c.) 



As Armilla (Armlets or Bracelets) have even been highly valued 

 by most peoples, it will be understood that these ornaments will 

 have been worked in various ways, and indifferent patterns, accord- 

 ing to the taste and genius of the race by whom they were 

 fashioned. 



In all Roman sites especially, the bracelet will be constantly met 

 with, and, indeed, the Latin races seem to have been particularly 

 fond of this ornament, and we may here note that in our excavations 

 at Corinium' (modern Cirencester), we found no less than six on one 

 arm of a young girl, and the specimens and drawings before you 

 will show that although they were mostly made of bronze, yet that 

 they differed in form, size, and weight, and while some were simply 

 plain rings, others were most elaborately ornamented. We have not 

 found any examples fashioned out of the precious metals, though we 

 have met with evidences of armlets in bronze being both gold and 

 silver gilt. 



With respect to ornament it will be seen that while in some the 

 whole circle was covered with a single pattern yet that more 

 frequently some three or four patterns found their places on the out- 

 side of the circle. 



These notes may, perhaps, be taken for a general description of 

 Roman and Romano-British Armilla, and, perhaps, they may tend to 

 show that although bronze was a highly valued metal at the period 

 in which it was so much used, yet these ornaments were probably 

 more valued for their tasteful ornamental details, and thus the most 

 ornato forms contained a less weight of metal than the plainer ones. 



We come now to the examination of a very curious form of armlet 

 obtained from Dorchester, which I am able to introduce to your 

 notice through the kindness of Mr. E. Cunnington, of that place. 

 This example, unlike the Roman forms already mentioned, 

 is composed of two metals, namely, a central core of lead, which is 



