A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE 



xiv. Worcester. A socketed and looped celt was found in the 

 black soil within the base of the Earth Hill, Worcester, when it 

 was being excavated. A great part of the socket and ring is 

 broken away from the specimen, which is in the Victoria Museum 

 at Worcester. It has four parallel indented tapering grooves on 

 each side (Allies, p. i8, pi. i. No. i ; Evans, p. 120). 



XV. Worcester. A bronze spearhead found at Diglis near 

 Worcester and thus described by Allies : — 



In the year 1844 about i^ miles below Worcester and \ a mile below the 

 Diglis Lock a bronze spearhead of very unusual shape was dredged up by some work- 

 men employed in the improvement of the navigation of the Severn. It is 10^ inches 

 long, 2f inches broad and weighs 8 ounces. 



It is figured in Archaological Journal., ii. p. 87 {Proceedings of 

 the Archaeological Institute at York., 1846, p. 39, pi. v. fig. 4, and 

 noticed in p. 34 of that work). It was also exhibited at a meet- 

 ing of the Society of Antiquaries of London, May 29, 1851, when 

 a paper was read by Mr. Akerman ' On some of the Weapons of 

 the Celtic and Teutonic Races.' 



xvi. Worcester. A fragment of a torque was found in 1840 

 at Perdeswell, about 2 miles from Worcester, in a gravel pit about 

 2 feet deep. It was rather more than a third of a circle, 8 inches 

 long in the curve, and weighed \ a pound. An iron rod ran 

 through its centre connecting the bronze pieces or vertebras, which 

 are twenty in number and are curiously twisted and tooled. Be- 

 tween each piece there is a thick ring shaped like a pulley and 

 the whole is fitted close together. The circumference of the perfect 

 torque must have been about 18 inches. At the date of the publi- 

 cation of his book, 1852, this torque was in the possession of Mr. 

 Allies. It is figured in Archaologia, xxx. p. 564 ; The Archceo- 

 logical Journal., iii. p. 34 ; and in Allies, p. 230, pi. vi. ; Evans, 

 p. 381. 



xvii. Kempsey. A spearhead with loops at the base of the 

 blade which connect it with the socket was dredged out of the 

 Severn between Kempsey and Pixham Ferry by some workmen 

 employed in the navigation works. It measures io| inches in 

 length. There were also found at the same spot in the bed on the 

 west, the Powick side of the river, the remains of oak piles and of 

 planking which had been fastened to the piles. These extended 

 about half way across the river (Allies, p. 60 ; Evans, p. 330 ; 

 Journal Archaeological Institute, iii. p. 354). 



xviii. Malvern Link. It is stated in Nash's Worcestershire (circa 

 178 I ), vol. ii. p. 139 : 'In the Link in the parish of Malvern was 

 lately found, many feet underground, a celt weighing 10 ounces, 

 about 5I inches long, of a mixed metal between brass and copper, 

 with a small ring or loop. It has a beautiful patina upon it.' 

 Nothing further is known of this except that Allies, at p. 167, 

 reproduced the account with a figure. 

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