A HISTORY OF WARWICKSHIRE 



of neolithic man, but these appear trivial when compared with those of 

 the palaeolithic age. 



From what has already been said about the scarcity of flint in 

 Warwickshire, and the rarity of its use for the making of pakeolithic 

 implements, the reader will be prepared to find that the neolithic imple- 

 ments discovered in the same district have in several cases been made of 

 various materials besides flint. A hard local stone has been employed 

 for the manufacture of neolithic implements found at some of the 

 following places in Warwickshire : 



Barton-on-tbe-Heatb. A celt formed of flint and thoroughly ground 

 all over so as to obliterate nearly all marks of chipping was found here 

 some years ago. It is 5^ in. long, 2^ in. broad and i in. thick, the 

 somewhat clumsy proportions being due apparently to the poor 

 character of the material employed. It is preserved in the museum at 

 Rugby School. 



Hartsbill Common. A perforated axe 1 made of blue stone and 

 weathered superficially to an olive-green colour. It 

 was found in 1770 in or near a tumulus, but the record 

 is not very clear. In form it presents the peculiarity of 

 expanding at both the blunt and the sharp ends. 



Lillington near Warwick, A small ground celt 

 of green stone, slightly over 3 inches long, now in 

 Warwick Museum. Found in 1900 by Mr. S. S. 

 Stanley. 



Long Compton. A ground flint celt, completely 

 smoothed all over, was found some years ago at Long 

 Compton, and passed into the possession of Mr. M. H. 

 Bloxam, F.S. A. 2 It is described by Mr. Beesley 3 as 

 ' a sacrificial celt,' but is evidently an implement of 

 the usual type. 



Sutton Coldfield. A perforated hammerstone of 

 green stone, 3 inches in length. 4 

 CELT OF WHITE FLINT, Walsgrave - upon - Sowe near Coventry. A per- 



hOUND AT LoNC COMPTON, r j r 11 J 11 



WARWICKSHIRE. foratcd axe of green stone superficially damaged by 

 weathering, now in the collection of Sir John Evans. 

 A hammerstone, 3 inches long, made from a quartzite pebble, was 

 found at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry. 6 



THE BRONZE AGE 



The prehistoric period witnessed no more important event than the 

 discovery of metal. It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand all that 

 was involved in the introduction of bronze and the art of working it. 



1 Bartlett's History and Antiquities of Mancetter, Warwickshire, p. 17, pi. 2, fig. 3; Evans' Ancient 

 Stone Implement!, p. 187, ed. 2. 



* Fragmenta SepubbraKa, by M. H. Bloxam, p. i z. 3 The History ofBanbury, i. 7. 



4 Op. cit. p. 224; Proc. Soc. Antiq. vii. 268, ser. 2. 



' Evans' Ancient Stone Implements, p. 198, ed. 2. Ibid. p. 240, ed. 2. 



216 



u 



