A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE Leicester, are both suggestive of the latter end of the Stone Age, or even the early part of the Bronze period. The polished flint celt, with flat sides and measuring 5J in. in length, found near Loughborough, is perhaps more nearly related to the Neolithic than to the Bronze Age. But it is difficult to pronounce positively upon separate antiquities found at different parts of the county, and without data as to their environments. At Leicester, however, we have the important record of a discovery which indicates the survival of an object of the Stone Age through many centuries. A fragment of a flint celt was there found buried in the earth at a depth of 1 2 ft., but it occurred in association with objects of the Roman, and perhaps even Saxon, period. Sir John Evans discovered at Osbaston a muller for crushing corn, which, perhaps, may be attributed to the Neolithic Age, but it might equally well belong to the same period as the quern-stone of bee-hive shape found at Breedon, whose period is sufficiently indicated by the iron pins which were found in association with it. Arrow-heads of flint, and presumably of the latter part of the Neolithic period, or the earlier part of the Bronze Age, have been found at Spinney Hill, near Leicester, and at Mountsorrel ; the former being leaf -shaped, the latter barbed. Various other forms of flint and stone implements, of regular Neolithic type, have been found at Aylestone, South Croxton, Kirby Muxloe, Noseley, Shackerstone, Stoney Stanton, Swithland, Witherley, and elsewhere, and par- ticulars of them will be found in the topographical list at the end of the present article. The only trace of megalithic remains in Leicestershire, apparently, is, or rather was, the monolith standing 7 ft. high and 3 ft. in the ground, which formerly existed near the ruins of Leicester Abbey. It was popularly known as St. John's Stone, and local topographers 2 were inclined to regard it as an object in some way connected with Druidical rites. THE BRONZE AGE The Bronze Age is a convenient term now generally used to distinguish the stage in advancing culture when man employed metal tools, implements, and weapons in his various pursuits. It must be regarded as one of the progressive steps by which man advanced from ignorance to an early stage of civilization. Although various suggestions have been made as to the period which is covered by the Bronze Age, it is at once safer and more convenient for our purpose to treat it as a phase of civilization rather than a definite period of time. The following are particulars of some of the more important objects of this period found in Leicestershire : In the monumental History of Leicestershire, by John Nichols, F.S.A., (vol. iii, pt. 2), there is a folio plate on which are engraved illustrations of twelve bronze objects, all of which apparently were found at Husbands Bos- worth. They comprise four looped and socketed celts ; two socketed celts without loops ; three socketed gouges ; two spear-heads ; and a curiously- shaped object of bronze which may have been the flat ferrule of a spear- ' Mrs. T. F. Johnson, GRmfses of Anct. Leu. (1891), p. 5. 168
