A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE Bucknell, Dorstone, Hereford, Much Marcle, Newton Clodock, St. Mar- garet's, Turnastone, Vowchurch, and Weston under Penyard. As these will be described in the topographical list at the end of this article it is not necessary to trouble the reader with precise particulars in this place. Attention may be drawn to the fact, however, that a large pro- portion of the objects found consist of socketed celts, palstaves, swords, several ferrules 5 in. long, and other forms which are characteristic of a late stage in the Bronze Age. The natural inference to be drawn from this is that Here- fordshire was not inhabited by the Bronze- Bronze socketed Celts in Hereford . i ..m . • i i • ■, Museum (^) ^S^ pcoplc Until a Comparatively late period, ^ ^ when, in fact, the various forms of weapons (Probably found in Herefordshire, but exact J • i 1_ J i i locality unknown) and implements had already reached their full development. The remote position of Here- fordshire in relation to the comparatively easy sea-crossing between the Continent and the Kentish coast (whence the Bronze-Age men would naturally come) is certainly favourable to such a theory. In addition to metallic implements there appear to have been at least three well-authenticated instances of Bronze-Age burial, viz.: — 1. Brandon.^ — At a distance of about a quarter of a mile from Brandon there are two barrows, one of which was opened by Sir Edward Harley in 1662. It was found to contain charcoal, burnt bones, and an urn 2 ft. high, full of bones. This was probably a Bronze-Age interment preceded by cremation. 2. St. Weonards^ — A large mound, measuring at base about one hundred and thirty feet, was opened in 1855 by Mr. Mynors, when its sepulchral character was abundantly proved by the discovery of funereal ashes and fragments of human thigh bone, shoulder blade, and pelvis. No certain proof of period was found. 3. Cist burial at Llangarren. — A discovery of considerable importance was made in Llangarren, in November 1877. An account of the circum- stances of the discovery which was published by the Cambrian Archaeological Association ^ furnishes the following particulars : — During the operation of ploughing one of the fields on Tredychan Farm, in the parish of Llangarren, one of the horses dropped into a large hole that suddenly opened beneath its feet. An examination of the cavity revealed the fact that the rectangular chamber which had been broken into was inclosed by four large slabs of stone two inches or more in thickness at the sides, a similar slab of stone had been placed over the chamber, whilst at the bottom there was simply the original sandstone rock. The angles between the side stones were roughly filled up with small stones. Within this cist nothing of interest was found excepting a human skull belonging to a full-grown man. The dimensions of the cist, viz., about 3 ft. wide, between 3 ft. and 4 ft. long, and 4 ft. deep, suggest that the body was buried in a crouching or contracted posture. In ' Camden, Brit. (ed. Gough), iii, 78. ' An account by Dr. Thomas Wright was published in Arch. Cambr. (Ser. 3), i, 168-74.. ' Arch. Cambr. (Ser. 4), ix, 76-7. 162
