The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons, and Ornaments, of Great Britain and Ireland.

by John Evans

Fig. 454.
River Wandle.

Another with a straight pin was found at Chilton Bustle,[1419] Somersetshire. The annular part is divided in the middle, and is flat and thin. It is shown full size in Fig. 452.

Another object of a similar character, but with the ring larger (being oval and 4½ inches by 3 inches) and with the pin part shorter, was found in a barrow between Lewes and Brighton,[1420] with a long pin, to be subsequently mentioned, and a pair of looped bronze bracelets, like Fig. 482. These are now in the museum at Alnwick Castle. Another (6 inches, with ring 2 inches in diameter), probably from a Wiltshire barrow,[1421] is in the collection at Stourhead.

A pin of the same character from the Lake-dwellings of Savoy has been figured by Rabut.[1422]

Another form has a smaller ring at the top, and the pin beneath is usually curved. Fig. 453, from Wilde,[1423] shows an example of this kind. One of the two pins reported to have been found with bronze bridles and buckles of “Late Celtic” character, as well as with a bronze lance-head and socketed celt, at Hagbourn Hill,[1424] Berks, was of this type. The other had a flat head.

I have a pin of the same kind (4¼ inches) found at Holt,[1425] Worcestershire. It has, however, a small cross, formed of five knobs, attached to the front of the ring. It was found in the bed of the Severn, and was presented to me by Mr. G. Edwards, C.E. The pins of this character seem to belong to quite the close of the Bronze Period, if not indeed to the “Late Celtic.”

Fig. 453. ¹/₁Ireland
.

A much larger form of pin appears, from its style of ornamentation, to belong more truly to the Bronze Period. That shown in Fig. 454 was, indeed, found with a bronze sword, spear-head, and palstave, in the Thames at the mouth of the river Wandle,[1426] Surrey, and is now in the British Museum. It is 7¾ inches in length, and the bulging portion in the centre is pierced probably for some means of attachment. The point, Mr. Franks thinks, was purposely curved. He regards the pin as having been intended to adorn the hair or fasten the dress.