42 DISCOVERY OF A GOLD CUP IN CORNWALL. 



in a barrow at Hove near Brighton, was likewise accompanied by 

 a bronze blade ; the contents of that tomb included also a skil- 

 fully wrought stone axe -head, perforated for a haft ; a type of 

 weapon familiar amongst Scandinavian relics of the " Age of 

 Bronze." 



I may here cite the opinion of one of our most reliable 

 authorities in all such questions of difficulty, Mr. Franks, that the 

 Cornish cup should be classed with the corslet found in the grave- 

 hill at Mold, and the Lincolnshire armlet figured above- with 

 certain golden ornaments also found in Scotland, in Ireland, and 

 in Scandinavia. The same type of ornamentation will be found 

 to prevail in all; its general arrangement being in horizontal 

 bands, more or less enriched with lines of stipjDled, beaded, or 

 corded work, the surface in some examples ribbed or corrugated, 

 in others elaborately embossed, as in the gold corslet from the 

 barrow near Mold, with rows of studs, nail-head and other orna- 

 ments in strong relief. We find moreover, especially in Irish relics 

 of gold, small concentric circles, and also patterns for the most 

 part of chevrony or lozengy type, that closely resemble those on 

 early sepulchral urns, occurring likewise, but more rarely, on 

 bronze weapons and celts. 



In considering the peculiar ribbed or corrugated fashion of 

 relics of gold, such as those to which I have briefly advei'ted, we 

 cannot fail to recognise a certain constructive analogy to the re- 

 markable circular British shields of thin bronze plate that have 

 repeatedly been brought under our notice. In- these we find 

 around the boss a series of concentric rings hammered up, with 

 intervening circles of knobs, in alternate arrangement, the knobs 

 or studs having the appearance of round-headed nails, such as are 

 often seen on the old Highland targets that frequently present an 

 almost archaic aspect. In the bronze shield, as also in the corru- 

 gated cup or armlet of gold, it is probable that by such mode of 

 construction, as already noticed, increased strength was obtained, 

 with lightness and economy of metal. '^ 



* The corrugated material of which the bronze shields are formed is so 

 thin that they seem little suited to resist any blow : it has even been sug- 

 gested that these British relics were either objects of parade, or merely the 

 superficial coatings of defences of more substantial description. This infer- 

 ence is wholly set aside on examination of the fastenings affixed to the 



