Bronze Spear-head found on Bowsden Moor. 193 



Bowsden Moor, in the parish of Lowick, is about 3 miles from 

 Duddo. Antiquities of a still earlier date than the bronze period, 

 — for bronze spear-heads rarely or never occur in barrows*", — 

 have been disclosed near Bowsden. " In the year 1800, as some 

 workmen were levelling a barrow, about a quarter of a mile 

 north from Bowsden, they found two urns inverted upon broad 

 flags, and containing bones which appeared to have been par- 

 tially burnt. Previous to this, another funeral urn was turned 

 up by the plough at Bowsden Hollin8."f 



In Northumberland, bronze spear-heads have been met with 

 in a variety of localities. About 1726, a very remarkable dis- 

 covery of this kind happened while a mason was engaged in 

 clearing the earth from a rock in Hulne Park, about a mile to 

 the N.W, of Alnwick, in order to win stones, when he came upon 

 20 bronze sword blades, and 16 spear heads, lying close to the 

 top of the rock, about half a yard from the surface. A foot 

 lower he found 42 socketed celts. J *' The spear -heads had a 

 socket for the insertion of a wooden pole ; some were long and 

 narrow, with a small wing or flange on each side ; but in others 

 the flange was wider and cut through or eyed."§ A very fine 

 example with entire blade, about 15 inches long, as well as a 

 smaller one of the same type, about 8 inches, and one with lu- 

 nate openings in the blade (Evans's figure 419) were found with 

 two bronze swords in a bog at Thrunton, near Whittingham, 

 Northumberland, about 1847. Of this last "the surface of the 

 blade is ornamented by being worked into steps or terraces, and 

 the socket by bands of parallel lines." || An example of a variety 

 with loops at the base of the blade, and two small openings, was 

 found at Elf or d, Northumberland, and is in the collection of 

 Canon Greenwell, F.E.S. (Evans, p. 326. fig. 405). A variety, 

 with two small slits in the lower part of the blade, was found 

 (broken) with a rapier-shaped blade at Corbridge, (lb. 333.) 

 In a spear-head shown in Evans's fig. 417, the two oval orifices 

 in the blade are placed the one somewhat below the other. This 



* Greenwell's British Barrows, p. 45. 

 t Mackenzie's Hist, of Northumberland, i., p. 381. 

 X Hutchinson's Northumberland, ii., p. 244 ; Mackenzie's Northumber 

 land, i., p. 484 ; Kichardson's Table Book, i., p. 364, 



§ Tate's Hist, of Alnwick, i., p, 14. 

 II Evans, Bronze Implements, pp. 314, 315. 



Y 



