ANNUAL MEETING. 327 



and the covers which, were placed upon the graves. On each 

 grave was a great slate slab. Some had fallen in, and in open- 

 ing these graves it took a long time, the bodies being completely 

 enveloped in sand. Several sharp pieces of slate in somewhat 

 the form of knives were found. They not only found these in 

 and around the graves, but similar pieces sea- washed and smooth 

 were brought up from the beach. In their rough state they 

 might have been used as stone blades, and would have proved 

 very serviceable. There was, however, no particular importance 

 attached to these. They were called slate spears and slate 

 knives, and could be used as such ; whether purposely so made 

 he could not say. In excavating they kept a careful watch on 

 the sand for ornaments. 



Coming down from the Neolithic into the Bronze period, 

 many of the graves had no ornaments beside the burial itself. 

 Some of those of later date were found to contain bronze and 

 slight traces of pottery— bronze bracelets, rings, and brooches. 

 In one grave at Harlyn, in which three persons were buried, 

 there were found a necklace and two bronze rings. Four spindle 

 whorls too, were unearthed — whorls used by women at the time 

 ' — while a bronze bracelet, going round the arm once and a half, 

 very much like a modern bangle, was also found. There were 

 also earrings on one skuU, and they found something of tin or 

 iron. One bracelet had two knobs at the ends, such as were 

 to be seen even at the present time. These things had not been 

 recently put there, because on the skeletons there was a distinct 

 trace of bronze discoloration. But the best find of all consisted 

 of two brooches of the well-known class and form, but superior 

 to nearly all that were known, and the British Museum con- 

 sidered them a very important find indeed, so important that they 

 would gladly have possessed them Wlien he mentioned it to the 

 authorities they expressed a desire to purchase them for £20, 

 He said rather than have the £20 they would preserve them for 

 the Truro Museum (applause), where they had already two 

 lunettes worth more than £oO for the intrinsic value of the gold 

 only, and much more for their antiquity and workmanship. 

 These were given them by the Prince of Wales (although trea- 

 sure trove), who paid £50 to the finders, and handed them over 

 to- the Truro Museum (loud applause). He had been in corres- 



