475 



among the most distinguished Senores Don Manuel de Gongora y Mar- 

 tinez, Don Hernandez of Tarragona, Don Jose Villamil, Don Fran- 

 cisco Tubino, and Don Antonio Benavides, the President of the Aca- 

 demia de Historia. Don Manuel de Gongora has just published a 

 very remarkable work on this subject, from which I shall, before 

 the conclusion of my Paper, make a few extracts. I also feel bound 

 to express my acknowledgments to Don Francisco Tubino, who 

 first indicated to me some of the sites where prehistoric remains 

 were to be found. It is remarkable that, whilst we are accustomed to 

 consider the Spaniards as very backward in most branches of intel- 

 lectual inquiry, it is the only country that I know of in which a respect 

 for Archaeology is endeavoured to be planted in the rising generation 

 by elementary works. I have brought for inspection a little volume 

 printed at Barcelona, which I may call an Archaeological Primer, by Don 

 Jose de Marjanes, for the use of their national schools. It is entitled 

 " Nociones de Arqueologia Espanola." 



It appears that caves used as human habitations, cromlechs, logan 

 stones, megalithic structures, and cyclopean walls are found in many 

 parts of Spain. In the latter I shall instance the remarkable Iberian 

 walls of Tarragona, and the Castello de Ibros, near Baeza. As to what 

 are generally called Celtic monuments, they seem to be generally scattered 

 through the country, particularly through the mountains of Andalusia, 

 the Sierra Morena, the Cantabrian chain, Catalonia, and even Portugal. 

 Rude vases of pottery, implements of stone, axes, arrow heads, &c, are 

 very common, as well as celts, lance heads, palstaves and other imple- 

 ments of bronze. In all their museums there are some of them, and I 

 have brought a few for inspection. In the Museo Nacional Arqueologico 

 of Madrid there is a large collection. There are also some very curious 

 figures, which certainly belong to a very remote period, and have puzzled 

 sorely the antiquaries (see PI. xxxiv.). They are called the Toros de Gui- 

 sando, and sometimes Marranos. They are very rude representations of 

 animals, rudely cut out of granite blocks. By some they are supposed to 

 be bulls ; by others, bears or wild boars. They are called of Guisando 

 because they were first discovered in a deserted tract between Avila and 

 the Escorial, called Guisando. But there are several sets of them. The 

 sketch which I exhibit is taken from a photograph of some procured in 

 a courtyard of one of the ancient palaces at Avila. 



Celts and palstaves are of very common occurrence ; and what is 

 most remarkable is that finding them with two loops is not con- 

 sidered any unusual occurrence.* In the Armeria real de Madrid 

 there are two fine palstaves, both with two loops ; they are said to 

 have been discovered in the north of Spain. They have also been found 

 in Portugal. I saw a very fine one at Granada. You possess one in 

 your Museum, which I believe was found in Ireland, and there has been 

 one found in Anglesey. 



* PL xxxv., figures 1 and 2, show a celt of this kind ; fig. 3 is another ; fig. 4 is a 

 stone weapon. The object represented by fig. 1 is from Asturias. See also p. 479, 



