ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS 



they are found so richly ornamented, but there are a few notable 

 examples in this country : one from Tuddenham, Suffolk, now in the 

 Cambridge Archaeological Museum ; and another from Sarre, Kent, a 

 full-size drawing of which is published in Arcbeeologia Cantiana, vii. 311. 

 These buttons or caps would be naturally more common in bronze, and 

 one has been found in position on the pommel of a sword at Longbridge, 

 Warwick, 1 while specimens have also been found in the Burgundian 

 graves of Charnay and figured in M. Baudot's sumptuous volume. 2 One 

 found at Oberolm in Rhenish Hesse has been described 3 as a stud for 

 leather. Yet another, of silvered bronze inlaid with stones, was found at 

 Beckum, some miles south-east of Miinster, Westphalia; and though it is 

 described* as the bezel of a finger-ring, the presence of a single and 

 double-edged sword in the grave supports the above view. In either 

 case it would be natural to find it near the hand. 



The most complete parallel is however afforded by a discovery in 

 Wiltshire. On the Salisbury race-course, about three miles south-west 

 of the city, a small grave-mound adjoining the Roman road to Dor- 

 chester was opened by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, who published a descrip- 

 tion of the find in 1821.' Previous to the construction of the mound, 

 an oblong pit had been cut in the soil to the depth of 3! feet, and on 

 its level floor were found an iron sword 29 inches long of the usual 

 description, three iron spearheads, two knife-blades, a shield-boss and 

 discs probably attached to the shield, a buckle with traces of leather, and 

 other small buckles of iron. The chief interest however lies in the 

 further discovery of two glass tumblers, and a thin bronze vessel with 

 marks of gilding, 6| inches in diameter and about i inches deep. This 

 object resembles a modern frying-pan, but was found fastened to a bowl 

 of oak, and so cannot have been used for culinary purposes. Close to 

 this and the shield-boss already mentioned were four or five rings of 

 silver wire (rather large for the finger), one of gold, and two bronze 

 ornaments of pyramidal form, almost identical with the Broomfield and 

 other specimens found in this country, ornamented with garnets set in 

 white enamel ; but though their use is as yet doubtful, there is little 

 warrant for classing them as parts of bracelets. A detail that renders the 

 similarity between the two discoveries still more striking is that at Salis- 

 bury as in Essex, not the slightest marks of any human interment could 

 be traced, though the earth was thoroughly examined. 



The second object (fig. 14) was also of gold, the front being 

 entirely covered with slices of garnet and blue glass set in gold cells very 

 delicately and skilfully made. It seems to have been found in company 

 with the pommel already noticed, and in all probability formed part 

 of the decoration of the sword-handle. In the absence of anything 



1 Journal of Brltith Arch<eohgical Aiioctation, xxxii. 108. 



* S/pulturei mtrwinpennes de Charnay, pi. x. fig. zi, and pi. xi. fig. 32. 



* Lindenschmit, Handbucb der deutschen Alterthumskundt, p. 380. 



* Zeitscbrift JUr vaterlUnditthe Geicbickte tmd Alttrtbumskunde (MUnster, 1865), ser. 3, vol. v. pi. v. 

 551. p. 358. 



6 Ancient Wiltihire (Roman JE,n), pp. 26, 27 ; all but the iron objects are figured on pis. xxxvi., xxxvii. 



I 321 4* 



