A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



was in fact a collection of prehistoric gold ornaments, comprising a 

 fine example of a torques with the familiar trumpet-shaped ends, a 

 number of penannular rings, and an armlet of flinted work with lines of 

 punctured dots in the hollows. It may be that there were other articles 

 found, but it is hardly likely that more information will now be obtained 

 upon the point, because with the exception of three fragments the whole 

 of the gold ornaments found were melted down. 



It seems pretty clear that the ploughs have in passing through the 

 soil encountered the deposit of gold ornaments, tearing the torques from 

 its hiding-place, and straightening it in the process. The penannular 

 rings were apparently ring money of similar character to those found at 

 Streatham, near Ely, in 1850. 



In Horsfield's Antiquities of Leives'' there is figured an object 



which is evidently a bronze 

 harness ring. Horsfield de- 

 scribes it as 'a green porce- 

 lain pendant amulet,' but 

 the form is much like that 

 of the bronze horse-trap- 

 pings, often enriched with 

 enamel, which have been 

 found at many difi^erent parts 

 of the country, and which 

 indeed may be regarded as 

 among the characteristic anti- 

 quities of the Late Celtic 

 period. Another good ex- 

 ^ ,, , . ample of a Late Celtic har- 



Late Celtic Harness Ring from Alfriston. ■' . . , ,,. . 



ness rmg with enamelling in 

 colour on the bronze of which it is composed was found at Alfriston, and 

 is now in the British Museum.^ 



Several antiquities in iron of very great interest were discovered at 

 Mount Caburn^ during the excavations carried out by General Pitt- 

 Rivers. These comprise a hammer (probably part of an adze), two 

 spear-heads, a small plough-share, spud, knives, sickle, bill-hook, frag- 

 ment of armour, and numerous minor pieces of iron, together with 

 horn combs for weaving or combing fiax, pottery and many other 

 antiquities. The iron objects are of special interest from the fact that 

 they were possibly manufactured from Sussex iron, for there seems 

 reason to believe that the iron industry in the Weald was commenced 

 before the Roman period. The bill-hook again, with its curved cutting 

 edge and imperfectly formed socket for the handle, is noteworthy. It 

 is a form of implement which was certainly known as early as the 

 prehistoric age of iron, yet it still survives in many rural districts. The 

 pottery found at Mount Caburn was in some cases ornamented with 



' PL iii. lig. 3, p. 47. - Horec Fcralcs, p. 196, plate xx. lijj. 2. 



= Jrch. xlvi. 423-95. 



322 



