487 
that Mr. Daniel Wilson states, that the early British pottery, 
though at best sufficiently rude, exhibits a considerable 
variety, both in form and workmanship, from the coarsest 
specimens of unshapely sun-dried clay, to the graceful and 
elaborately decorated vases evidently made by workmen who 
had acquired a knowledge of the potter's wheel.* It is diffi- 
cult to determine the time when glazed pottery was first in 
use amongst the Britons. In 1832, Lieut. Col. Miller pre- 
sented to the Society of Scottish antiquaries, one of several 
fragments of glazed pottery, which were found in Fifeshire, 
along with a barbed arrow head of flint, an iron dagger, a 
bronze fibula, and a quantity of bones and ashes. t In 1842, 
two stone cists were discovered in Berwickshire, each con- 
taining a human skeleton, an iron sword and dagger, and 
urns of rough grey earthenware, ornamented externally with 
parallel grooves running round them, and internally covered 
with a green glaze. Although these examples of glazed 
pottery do not lead us to form a certain opinion of the date 
of their fabrication, yet they evidently belong to an age 
before the time when the works of the ancient Britons in the 
north had become influenced by Roman art, and before the 
use of iron had entirely superseded the primeval arrow head 
of flint. In these circumstances, then, I think we may fairly 
suspend judgment for the present, as to the date of these 
works of man which I have described. 
An eye-witness, Mr Thomas Tilney, who was present 
during the excavation for the Wesleyan Chapel, in 
Meadow Lane, Leeds, about 40 years ago, informs me 
that at the depth of 18 feet in the gravel was found a human 
skeleton, near which were some buckles, (fibul) and a spear 
head. He assured me that the skeleton and its accompani- 
ments had every appearance of having been drifted to the 
place along with the sand and gravel, and he is quite con- 
* Wilson's Pre-historic Annals of Scotland, p. 280 f Ibid, p. 453. 
