Arcliceologia. 225 



AKCH^OLOGIA. 



The Kent Archaeological Society has issued the sixth volume of 

 its collection of papers, published under the title of Archceologia 

 Cantiana, the contents of which do great credit to the management 

 of the Society. The most remarkable of these is Mr. Brent's 

 account of the researches in the early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at 

 Sarr. Mr. Brent has already opened a hundred and eighty-three 

 graves in this cemetery, and we believe that much still remains to 

 do. The very numerous objects found in these graves present a 

 singular and almost perfect picture of Anglo-Saxon life. We have 

 the arms of the warrior sufficiently complete, the ornaments of his 

 personal attire, and especially the various ornaments of the person 

 of the Anglo-Saxon lady, and the articles of her toilette. "We have 

 the characteristic pottery and glass which loaded the Saxon 

 festive-board, and the various domestic implements of the house- 

 hold, the money the Saxon spent, and even the dice with which he 

 gambled. The contents of one of the graves were very remark- 

 able — it was that of a man. Near the feet, and about two feet 

 three inches from the surface, was a small black earthern vessel ; 

 on the left side lay the umbo of a shield, and near it, all together, as 

 if the contents of a bag or purse which had undergone decay, about 

 fifty small circular counters of bone or ivory, one or two apparently 

 made of the teeth of an animal. A sword, thirty-seven inches long ; 

 a spear- head eight inches and a quarter, and the ferule of the shaft ; 

 a small brass coin of the Emperor Magnentius ; some rivets, a knife, 

 an iron ring, and a small bronze buckle, were also taken from this 

 grave. All these objects are characteristic of the pagan Saxon 

 gentleman, and it may be remarked that he seems to have placed 

 his implements of gambling under the protection of his shield. 

 Such draughts or counters have been found in several instances in 

 Saxon graves. They vary a little in size and shape ; but they are 

 all circular and flat-bottomed, and some nearly conical, while others 

 are but slightly convex. A pattern of little double circles, with a 

 dot in the centre, appears on the upper side of most of them. Some 

 of them had decayed, and it was judged that the original number 

 had been about sixty. In a grave opened subsequently, a second 

 set of similar counters was found, the number of which was about 

 forty, and there were with them two dice, which leave no doubt of 

 the use of the counters. 



The contents of another of these graves were equally interesting, 

 the more so, as similar objects have been found in other Anglo- 

 Saxon cemeteries. Near the skull of the occupant of the grave lay 

 the umbo of a shield, and on the left side a spear. On the breast a 

 fine buckle, brightly plated, and what appeared to be the mounting 

 of a purse. On the left side were some iron keys, and an iron lock, 

 with a bronze plate containing a hole for its lock, no doubt the 

 remains of a box. At the left foot lay a small balance and scales, 

 with nineteen weights. The other contents of the grave were a 

 knife or dirk, with a smaller knife in one doubled sheath of wood, 

 VOL. X. — NO. III. Q 



