Guilton Grave 89

Grave as the last, and about three feet and a half deep. Plain signs of a coffin: bones pretty perfect, and seemingly of an elderly person. I judge of this from the teeth, which were much worn down. The head of an hasta at the right side, but on the outside of the coffin. (The head of this hasta was of that large sort described at No. 28.) On the upper part of the left arm was a very fine large armilla[1]of brass [M 6013]; it is about four inches diameter, and very firm, elastic, and perfect: the bone of the arm lay near it, but was eaten insunder by the rust of it I esteem it as a great curiosity. Here was also an hemispherical umbo; in its rim were four broad-headed brass studs, plated with silver: three other broad-headed iron studs: an hollow iron cylinder for the handle of the shield, and two cross-pieces of iron, as at No. 22, etc.: a wrought brass buckle [M 6012], it has the figures of two four-footed creatures upon it: the blade of a sword, exactly like that at No. 10, etc.; it was all covered with the rotten wood of the scabbard, as was that at No. 48: a very beautiful pommel [M 6192];[2]it is eight square and neatly inlaid with gold and silver; it has two heads in relievo on opposite sides, each head is surrounded with a kind of scroll; it is hollow, and has no lead in it, as those before described had; it seems to be made of steel, yet is not hurt by lying in the ground, so that I take it to be of that sort of white hard metal, of which some buckles heretofore described are made, see No. 10, fig. 5, etc.: the blades of two knives: several pieces of rusty iron: and several long nails.[1]Armillæ are but seldom found in Saxon graves; and when they do occur, they are usually among remains which indicate the graves of females; but in this case, the sword and other objects denote a male; examples of armillæ will be noticed under the Kingston Down division; they all bear a Roman character, and probably are Roman.- C.R.S.[2][see comments under Uncatalogued pommel]