THE CELTIC TUMULI OF DORSET. 65 



the greater portability of the latter weapon, as an article of 

 merchandise, had some weight in its non-production by native art. 

 The traffic between Iberia and The Cassiterides is mentioned by 

 Strabo in a well known passage (Lib. in., c. i and ii.) which refers 

 to a very remote intercourse of foreigners with Britain. It 

 consisted, we are told, in the barter of skins, tin, and lead, on the 

 part of the islanders, for earthenware, salt, and bronze ware. The 

 introduction of bronze is thus accounted for, we cannot tell how 

 many centuries before the Christian sera. The Xa\x^ ar of Strabo, 

 which is usually translated "brass vessels," may surely take a 

 wider range and more distinctive interpretation, so as to include 

 " brass " or bronze ware in general ; and in particular bronze 

 weapons, as the dagger-blades of our Tumuli. 



In addition to these relics, our Barrows produced a few other 

 minor articles, as (Turn, xiv., N.) a circular fibula of brass, with a 

 female skeleton ; (No. 42, N.) a bead of brass and large bronze 

 pin ; (No. 21, N.) a brass arrow head and beads in a cist of burned 

 bones. This arrow head (PL xiii) would now perhaps be described 

 as a very small knife-dagger. In Purbeck Mr. Austin found in 

 Turn. 87 a bronze fibula and an inverted urn ; and in No. 88 S. a 

 bronze or copper ring. 



2. FLINT. It may probably excite some surprise that so few of 

 these Tumuli have produced weapons or implements of flint, a 

 material that abounds in almost every part of this county, and 

 always afforded a ready resource in the absence of metals to supply 

 their place, from the most remote ages of primitive barbarism ; and 

 even after the age of bronze was fairly established its use was not 

 discontinued. It is well known to collectors of these curious and 

 interesting relics that the ground in some places is often largely 

 strewed with implements and weapons of flint, rudely fashioned 

 and imperfect, still manifesting design and skill, how rarely soever 

 it may be to find a perfect specimen. The forms of these primitive 

 objects are as various as the uses for which they were designed. 

 There are knives, scrapers, chisels, hammers, axes, and arrow heads. 

 The latter are, perhaps, more numerous than any of the other 



