UMIVORSITY CALIFORNIA The Archaeological Journal. MARCH, 1853. ON THE ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION OF NATIONAL ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. Ar the close of the year 1851, I gave a slight sketch of the history of the British Room and its contents up to that time. It may be of some interest to the members of the Archaeological Institute to learn the subsequent progress of the collection. This is the more necessary, as the progress of the British Collection depends in no small degree on the support of societies like our own. The lover of classic art may, with money at his command, soon form a considerable collection of the antiquities of Greece or Rome. The history of these nations is indelibly recorded by their historians. It is examples of their art, and the illustration of what is already known, that the student seeks to him it is of less moment whether the bronze or terracotta which he admires be found in Athens or Pompeii. How differently must the British antiquary investigate the fading footsteps of the past. He must traverse the ages which elapsed before the Roman conquest without the guide of a written record, or the assistance of a certain starting point. The objects for which he seeks the fragment of bronze, the flake of flint, or mouldering urn, become of little value unless the circumstances of their discovery are recorded. He must look then for assistance to the country collector and the zealous archaeologist, not to the ordinary dealer, who cares little for the objects he sells, or, if necessary, invents a fable to promote the sale of them. It is gratifying to find that, during the past year, the British collection has had donations made to it by no less VOL. X. B than thirty-three persons, while the number of objects added amount to about five hundred and eighteen. Among the additions made to the primeval antiquities, the most interesting are two of the flint knives found in the cavern known as Kent's Hole, near Torquay. They were embedded with bones of extinct bears, hyenas, and other carnivora, and together with them sealed in by the thick stalagmitic floor of the cavern. The valuable observations made by Dr. Mantell, in a former volume of this journal,' render it unnecessary for me to enter into the question of the antiquity of these remains. Frequent observations prove how little we can trust to mere juxtaposition; it should, however, be observed, that these implements must be of very considerable antiquity, as above the floor by which they are covered is a layer of earth containing human bones and fragments of rude pottery necessarily subsequent in date to the knives, though so primitive in manufacture. These two implements were presented by R. A. C. Austen, Esq., and resemble the rude weapons found in the early British barrows of Wiltshire and elsewhere. Four other flint weapons, of somewhat similar appearance, have been presented by J. Y. Akerman, Esq. They were discovered in a tumulus at Driffield, in Yorkshire. The collection of celts has been enriched by a very fine one of flint, found near Reigate, and presented to the Museum by R. Clutton, Esq. Apart from its high finish, this object was a very desirable acquisition, owing to the great poverty of the collection in stone weapons found in England. Three other stone objects have been added, found in the parish of Barton Bendish, in Norfolk. To the Rev. S. B. Turner we are indebted for a bronze dagger-blade, found at Boston, in Lincolnshire. It is of the ordinary type, but is of interest, as there was no weapon of the kind in the collection found in that part of England. A very curious celt-mould has been presented by Sir Walter Trevelyan, found near Wallington, in Northumberland. It is of a coarse sandstone, and appears to have been intended for casting the flat cuneiform bronze celts, which Mr. Dunoyer has placed in his first class. It exhibits three 3 1 Arch. Journ., vol. vii., p. 340, vide also Buckland's Reliquiæ Diluvianæ. 2 Arch. Journ., vol. ix. p. 194. 3 Archæologia Æliana, vol. iv., p. 107. 4 Arch. Journ., vol. iv, p. 2. 5 holes of different sizes for casting celts, and one for casting a ring, into which the metal was simply poured and afterwards hammered into shape. It resembles, in many particulars, a celt-mould found near Belfast, and published by Mr. Dunoyer. To the same gentleman we are indebted for three Celtic urns, one of them discovered at Jesmond, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, the other two found in a cairn at Black Heddon, Northumberland. Portions of another urn, of a curious pattern, were presented by C. E. Long, Esq., discovered at Beedon, in Berkshire." These appear to be the only acquisitions which seem to belong to purely Celtic workmanship, with the exception of two very curious sets of objects found in Suffolk, which, though they do not appear to be of Roman workmanship, cannot be long anterior to the occupation of Britain by that people. The first series consists of a spear-head, hammer, knife, gouge and awl of bronze, discovered with one or two socketted celts, in a gravel pit at Thorndon, in Suffolk. The hammer is curious, and of great rarity in form; it resembles a socketted celt, but does not taper off at the point. The lower end is cut off square, and is very solid. It is not unlike an object found some years ago with a gouge and several celts on Roseberry Topping, in Cleveland, Yorkshire. The knife is provided with a socket into which the handle was fixed by two pins. The gouge is of the ordinary type, and resembles those found with celts at Carlton Rode, near Norfolk. The other set of objects was discovered at Exning, in Suffolk, and have a still more Roman character than the last. Among them were socketted celts, spear-heads, a gouge, some curious bullæ, and a pin with a chain, all of bronze. The form of two urns found near these objects is very similar to that of Roman urns, but the material is coarse and badly baked. All these curious remains were collected by the late Mr. Davy, of Ufford. The additions to the collection of Roman remains have been numerous. I should especially mention some interesting stones discovered during the course of last summer in digging the foundations of a house on the East side of the Roman 5 Arch. Journ., vol. iv., pl. vi., p. 333. Arch. Journ., vol. vii., p. 66. 7 Archæologia Scotica, vol. iv., p 53. wall behind Trinity-house Square. They consist of an architectural fragment in the form of a scroll, a portion of a very large inscription, and another inscription which, from its worn condition, is difficult to read. The similarity of the first object to the scroll at the ends of the lid of the sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus render it likely that this fragment may have been similarly placed on a gigantic sarcophagus, into the side of which the large inscription may have been inserted. The inscription, which is represented in the accompanying plate, records-Fabius Alpinus Classicianus,-who must have occupied a position of some importance to have required so splendid a monument. The second inscription is likewise monumental, and appears to commemorate A. Alfidius Rombo. This inscription is so faintly cut, and the stone is so much injured, that I must defer the consideration of it to another opportunity. These interesting remains were presented by W. J. Hall, Esq., on whose premises the excavations were being made. The researches lately made on the site of a Roman villa at Boxmoor, in Hertfordshire, have furnished us with some curious flue-tiles, stucco, and other fragments, presented to the museum by the proprietor, George Davis, Esq. It would be superfluous to say much of these objects, as Mr. John Evans, to whose zeal the excavations are mainly due, has prepared a careful paper on the subject, which will shortly appear in the Archæologia. A perfect flue-tile, ornamented in a similar way to some found at Boxmoor, has been presented by Mr. Way. It was found, with several others, near Reigate. We are indebted to the Rev. J. W. Burgon for a fine Roman brick, found under the Post Office, and stamped with the inscription P. P. BRI. LON. PPBRLON Tile-stamp. London. Half size. 8 I should also mention a very valuable present from Sir Walter Trevelyan: the curious enamelled bronze cup discovered at Harwood, near Cambo, in Northumberland. The great rarity of enamelled vessels of the Roman period renders this a great acquisition to the National Collection, more * Arch. Journ., vol. iii., p. 69. 9 Archæologia Æliana, vol. iv., p. 102. |