EARLY MAN 



Our first example is an iron sword, with bronze hilt and sheath, from 

 Warton, near Lancaster. The two portions, sword and sheath, have become 

 adherent and worn by corrosion, but the annexed restoration, 

 in fig. 30, is courteously supplied by the Ethnographical 

 department of the British Museum, where the object is 

 preserved. It is a simple type. The handle is distinguished 

 by the circular ball enclosed in the triangular end, in which 

 circles and lines are blended with the characteristic geo- 

 metrical and symmetrical effect. The grasp is embellished 

 by three nicked, rounded ridges which run around it, one at 

 each end, and one in the middle, where the thickness is 

 somewhat greater. Opposed pear-shaped ornaments com- 

 plete the decoration of the hilt. The sheath is much worn ; 

 but down the attachment, which is 

 fixed by pins, may be recognized a 

 fine rope pattern, lying vertically down 

 the middle. The date of this interesting 

 relic, if the product of normal develop- 

 ment, should be the first century B.C. 



Another relic of late Celtic work 

 is a dagger-sheath from Pilling Moss, 

 south of Lancaster, now in the mu- 

 seum at Salford. The figure, fig. 31, 

 illustrates this object in every detail. 

 The position of the attachment, and 

 the binding rings, are of interest ; and 

 the circular ornament of the tip is 

 apparently unique in character. There 

 seems to be no record of its discovery. 

 It was found in PilUng Moss, near to 

 Garstang. Its length is ii| in. Its 

 date might be as late as the first 

 century. 



Some bronze fittings, enamelled, 

 but without decoration, said to have 

 been found at Walton-le-Dale, and 

 now in the museum at Preston, may 

 be assigned to Celtic workmanship. 



Passing from the implements of 

 war, the most striking object is a 

 bronze-beaded torque, or necklet, found 

 near Handle Hill, at Mow Road, near 



Rochdale, where it now remains in possession of the 



lord of the manor. It is figured in fig. 32.^ A 



workman found it beneath a flagstone at the root of 



an oak tree. Technically this object belongs to 



the class of beaded torques : — ' Rather more than one 



half the collar is composed of bronze beads of two 



1 Taken from Fishwick, op. cit., by courtesy of the author, 

 247 



Fig. 30. — Sword 



AND Sheath from 



Warton. (British 



Museum.) 



Scale, I : 4. 



Fig. 31. — Late Celtic 

 Dagger-sheath from Pil- 

 ling Moss. (Salford 

 Museum.) 1:3. 



