Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu/47

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ON THE TORC OF THE CELTS.
33

10th November last, before the Archæological Institute, consisted of twelve globular beads, the part representing the string being slightly elastic, and capable of being detached by two conical pins inserted into corresponding sockets at the beaded ends. Like other Celtic decorations, it was ornamented with a rude pattern of hatched marks and an undulating line: this was of bronze. Another tore of the same class was found at Rochdale, in Lancashire, in 1831[1]. The beaded portion consisted of eleven wreathed globular beads united by a cord, while the string or hinder portion which went behind the neck represented a squared cord, ornamented with a double vandyked line. This measured 45/8 by 31/2 in. dr., was like the preceding of bronze, and weighed 4.75. oz.

A B

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a. Bronze Torquis, France.

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b. Valley of the Rhine.

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a. Torquis, France.

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b. Valley of the Rhine.

The solid torques, although rare in this country, is not uncommon in the Celtic graves, and tumuli in France, and in the district of the Lower Rhine. The specimens found by M. de Ring of this class[2] on the necks of skeletons exhibit some peculiarities not found in Bretagne or Ireland. The terminations become more bell-shaped, and the wire of the body is engraved with a spiral groove, crossed by double bands at equal distances, the whole intended to represent a twisted funicular band secured in its place by crossing bands. These are bronze (A). Other specimens are without the crossing bands (B).

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Beaded Ring, Helmstadt.

A bronze ring of this class, found at Helmstadt in Brunswick[3], Germany, is evidently referable to the same class, partly imitating beaded work: the leaf ornament at one side much resembles the workmanship of some bronze

  1. Archæologia, vol. xxv. p. 595—597. Now in the possession of Mr. Dearden of Rochdale.
  2. Etablissemens Celtiques. 8vo. Fribourg, 1842.
  3. Wagener, Handbuch, &c. No. 593, s. 819.