312 Mr. Tate on the Celtic Town at Greaves Ash. 



no tool marks ; but the Querns have been worked into form 

 by some implement. The central holes of the sandstone 

 Quern for receiving the axle are remarkably smooth, as if 

 worn by a metal ; but it is possible to have reduced this com- 

 paratively soft stone into shape by a tool made of harder stone, 

 and a hard wood axle might through time smooth the sides 

 of the hole. The other Querns are however made of syenitic 

 porphyry — a more intractable material ; and I can scarcely 

 think, that any stone instrument I have seen, could have 

 fashioned these Querns into their rounded shape and drilled 

 the holes for receiving the axle. They therefore furnish 

 evidence of some metal, probably bronze, having been in use. 



That the fortified town at Greaves Ash belongs to the Celts 

 and probably to that period — some centuries before the Chris- 

 tian era — when both bronze and stone weapons and imple- 

 ments were in use, is therefore, I think, proved, by the rude- 

 ness of structure taken in connection with the prevailing- 

 circular form both of ramparts and dwellings ; by the charac- 

 ter of the pottery and glass amulet which are decidedly of a 

 Celtic type ; by the flint weapons which mark an early 

 period ; and by the glass armlet which in Switzerland is asso- 

 ciated with the so called bronze era. 



Etymologies by themselves seldom furnish the secure basis 

 of a conclusion ; but they sometimes help to buttress an argu- 

 ment. The Celtic names in the district are few; yet some of 

 them are footprints of an early Celtic population. Dunmore, 

 which is near to Greaves Ash is Hiberno-Celtic or Irish, from 

 Dun a hill, and mor great ; Knock, on which is a large cairn 

 is from the same source, Onoc a hill. Breamish too may be 

 derived from the Irish hreim, which has the secondary mean- 

 ing of a rattling noise, and Uisg, water, which is common 

 to both branches of the language. Perhaps too Brough, pro- 

 nounced here and in Cumberland Bruff, has descended from 

 the same period, as Brug is in Irish a fortified place. These 

 are but slight indications but they favour the early origin of 

 the for tie ts in the vale of Breamish. 



Very scanty and imperfect are the notices given by classical 

 writers of ancient British towns. Csesar tells us,* that 

 what the Britains call a town is a wood surrounded with a 

 vallum and ditch. Strabo's account is similar f — forests are 

 their cities, for Avhcn they have enclosed a large circuit witli 

 felled trees, they build therein huts and hovels for their cattle^ 



* Cccsar, lib. v. r. 21. f Stiabo, lib. iv. c. 4. 



