Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
Another hoard of somewhat similar character was found in June 1863, in
the island of Bute, about 300 yards distant from the old church of St.
Blane, in Kingarth. The hoard, [Illustration: Fig. 88.—Ingot of Silver
(actual size).] which was deposited beneath a large stone, consisted of
two gold rings, three long, narrow fillets of thin gold, a small ingot
of silver (Fig. 88), weighing 228 grains, and a number of silver coins,
of which twenty-one were pennies of David I. of Scotland, three of King
Stephen, and one of King Henry I. of England. Of the two gold rings, one
(Fig. 89, No. 1) is a plain solid ring, formed of a rod rounded by the
hammer, and tapered to both ends, and the ends unjoined. The other,
shown in Fig. 89, No. 2, is composed of three similarly-hammered rods or
wires twisted together, and the ends joined into a lozenge-shaped bezel.
The largest of the three fillets found with them is (Fig. 90) 17 inches
in length, and about 3⁄16 inch wide in the centre, tapering to both ends
until it expands into a small terminal loop. The others are similar in
form. They are scarcely thicker than stout writing-paper, and the
largest, though 17 inches in length, weighs only 55 grains. Their
ornamentation consists of zig-zag running patterns, and beaded work in
_repoussé_.
[Illustration: Fig. 89.—Gold Rings found in Bute (actual size).]
It is thus evident that this typical form of construction of personal
ornaments in the precious metals by interplaiting and intertwisting
slender rods of metal, rounded and tapered by the hammer alone, and
their ends soldered together, comes down at least to the twelfth
century, and appears in associations in which there is no suggestion of
an Oriental origin. Its area, so far as our present knowledge enables us
to define it, appears to be limited to the northern and western isles,
no well-authenticated instance having been recorded from the mainland of
Scotland. On the other hand, the area of the type extends eastwards into
Scandinavia, but there the type itself is regarded as one which is not
indigenous.
[Illustration: Fig. 90.—Terminal portions of two Gold Fillets found in
Bute (actual size).]
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