A HISTORY OF KENT 



were found in position ; while the spear-shaft, which was found to be of 

 ash, measured with the head 6 and even 7 feet in length. In several 

 cases the spear and ' pilum,' or one of them, had been wrapped in linen 

 fabric and laid on or beside the coffin ; while of the three swords found 

 one lay on the right and one on the left of the body, the position of the 

 other not being stated. This last had an iron pommel filled with lead, 

 and belonged to a grave (66) containing among other things a touch- 

 stone, a pair of scales like those used by goldsmiths and eighteen weights, 

 some of which were Roman imperial coins adapted to the purpose. 



In ten cases a vessel had been placed at the foot of the grave, 

 generally outside the coffin : sometimes it was of pottery that had be- 

 come too soft to remove, though one urn of whitish Roman ware sur- 

 vived ; and sometimes of glass.' In one instance a cup of this material 

 was found with a gold coin of Justinian, and in another grave was a 

 vase with hollow lobes or claws, of a type fairly common in Kent. A 

 shallow dish or patera was also found, and in a woman's grave a pair 

 of shears occupied the same position. Other articles found in female 

 interments were a mirror of mixed metal, two brooches probably of 

 Roman workmanship, and two bronze bowls of the usual type but 

 furnished with stands or trivets. Circular brooches with keystone 

 garnets (pi. i. fig. 4) were found in four female graves (to judge by 

 the beads accompanying them), and in another was a jewelled brooch 

 with four discs round a larger centre (pi. i. fig. 17) ; but brooches were 

 not confined to one sex. A square-headed specimen of silver-gilt, of a 

 type peculiar to Kent, was found with a sword and shield ; and two 

 jewelled buckles, with triangular plates and three studs, had also be- 

 longed to men. Armlets are rare in the Saxon period, but a specimen 

 of stout bronze with overlapping ends was found at Gilton on the left 

 arm of a male skeleton (grave 89). 



About 2 feet below the surface of the long sandy hill'' that 

 stretches from Gilton into the parish of Woodnesborough, has been 

 found a large variety of brooches and rings, glass vessels and beads, 

 swords ^ and shields, as well as a certain number of coins. Two bronze 

 bowls, found close to the turnpike road * from Canterbury to Sandwich 

 and Deal, are of special interest. One has a diameter of 21 inches, and is 

 5 inches deep : the rim is flat, with a pearled border, and handles had 

 once been attached by means of half-ovals of metal filled with lead. The 

 vessel had been much cracked, and patched in three places with plates of 

 irregular shape, bearing stamped figures of an unusual character (see fig. 9). 

 On two is a figure with long hair and pointed beard, dancing and play- 

 ing on a harp or viol of six strings, while from the left hand there hangs 

 the head of an animal. The largest patch is embossed with figures of 



> One like fig. 21, found with bowl (as fig. 19), is figured in Pag. Sax. pi. xvii. fig. 2. 



» For remarks on this hill, see Hasted's Kent (8vo), x. 122. 



» An elaborate sword-hilt from Gilton is figured by Akerman, Pagan Saxondom, pi. xxiv. fig. 2 ; 

 Kemble and Franks, Horae Ferales, pi. xxvi. fig. 8. 



* Exact details of the site are given by Roach Smith in Archteologia, xxx. 133, where the larger bowl 

 and the ornaments are illustrated (pi. xi.). 



354 



