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very high flint civilisation. The flint instruments which have been found in the boulder clay (the ice sheet caught them up from the land surface on which it formed) and in the mid-glacial sands, which lie beneath the boulder clay, and in which the Ipswich skeleton was partly embedded, are of a more primitive type.

Professor Keith is of opinion that there can be no doubt that the skeleton is that of a man. His height is estimated at 5 ft. 10 in. In teeth, in skull-form, and in the leading features of the skeleton, the Ipswich man does not differ in build of body from the men of to-day.

The lecturer expressed the opinion that perhaps too much attention had been directed to the skull. It was very probable that the tibia, being so closely associated with the human manner of walking, would serve to distinguish various stages in man's evolution. The shin of the Ipswich tibia was unlike any form yet seen. In place of a sharp shin there was a flat surface. The significance of this feature was not known; it certainly did not represent a pathological condition, but was evidently due to a peculiarity in the gait of the individual. It was likely to prove a sure character of the Ipswich race, and represent a stage in evolution. From the Standard.

DE LACY'S LORDSHIP IN DENBIGHSHIRE.-The following transcript is communicated by the Rev. G. C. Chambres. He states that it is probably one of many similar charters issued to the original settlers, but that the only other one with which he is acquainted belongs to the Heaton family of Plas Heaton, Denbighshire. The parchment is about 9 in. by 8 in., and still retains some of the brittle greyishyellow wax of the original seal, though all traces of the impression have vanished. It has been marked, possibly by some visiting herald, with two small ermine spots. The present owner is Mr. H. C. Chambres, of Eastham.

"A Toutz ceux qui ceste escrit verront ou orront. Henry de Lacy, Counte de Nicole et Conestable de Cestre, Seygnur de Roos et de Reweyknol(?) salutz en deu. Sachiez nous auer done et graunte et par ceste nostre presente chartre conferme a Johan de la Chambre nostre Chaumberlein pour soun homage et pour son seruice deus charues de terre ou les apurtenaunces en Lewenny qi contient vt foitz vint acres par la perche de vint peez. A auer et tenir a lauantdit Johan et ses heirs de son cors lealment engendrez fraunchment quitement et poisiblement et oue toute manere aysement. Cest a sauer housbote et Haybote en le boys de Lewenny par viue de nos foresters Cest a sauer del boys de Garthsnodyok de qes a la torre Madok Abaignon et comune de pasture a toute manere de bestes parmy tut lan en le boys auaundit de deuz les deuises auauntdiz apurtenant a taunt de tenement en mesme la ville et quite de pannage a tous ses pors de sa propre mirine de nous et de

nous heirs par seruice de Chivalrie dont les ditz charues de terre font le fee de Chivaler et fesaunt a nous et nos heirs la suite a nostre Court de Dunbegh de trois semeins en trois semeins. E la garde de nostre Chastel de Dunbgh en tens de guere. Cest a sauer chesqun au tant com guere serra vt jours a deux chiuaus. . vertz ou sesse jours a vn chiual couertz le quel qe nous ou nos heirs meutz vodrons tut a lour coustages E rendunt a nous et a nos heirs vn maile par an pour chesquen bouee a la seint michel pour la garde de nostre chastel auant dit en tens de pees. E nous et nos heirs a lauantdit Johan et ses heirs de son cors lealment engendrez lauauntdit tenement pour les seruices auauntdit garantons et quiterons et def[enderons au]xi pleinement come nostre Seygnur le Roy et ses heirs nos tenemenz en celes parties a nous et nos heirs garauntissent aquitent et defendent E si lauauntdit Johan mureusse(?) saunz heir de son cors lealment engendrez tut lauauntdit tenement oue tutes les apourtenaunces sauns counteredit de nul homme a nous ou a nos heirs enterement reuertera. En temoinance de quels choses nous auons mis nostre seal a cest presente Chartre. A ces temoines. Sire Robert le fiz Roger. Sire Roger de Trumpington. Sire William le Vauasour. Sire William de Stoppham. Chiualers, Kenewrek Abllawar [?] Bledyn Vaghan. Madok Gogh et autres."

THE following is the Report for the year 1911 of the Pembrokeshire Association for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments :

Lawhaden Castle.-A good deal of the ivy has been destroyed by lighting fires around the roots during the dry weather, and it is hoped to do more during the coming year. The north wall along the edge of the moat, which is considerably undermined, is being underpinned in the worst places, and a dungeon under one of the towers has been cleared out. Such young trees as remain in the walls should again be cut, and fallen trees inside the Castle and moat should be cleared away. It is hoped that the Association Committee will soon be able to publish a ground plan of this Castle.

Castell Coch.-Your Committee obtained an estimate for the work required to be done to this building, and decided to do the most urgent part of it-viz., rebuilding the jamb of the doorway of the north side and securing the cracked window arch on the south side. A good deal more remains to be done, and it is hoped that funds may be forthcoming to complete the work during the summer months.

Carew Castle.-Nothing further has been done by the owner towards these repairs.

Trehowell Ogam.-This stone has been removed to Glandwr graveyard.

St. Mary's, Haverfordwest.-A scheme is on foot for restoring the west window of this Church in memory of the late Vicar, which it is hoped will meet with success. The north gateway, which formed part of the destroyed thirteenth-century charnel chapel, has been restored at the expense of the Association, under the direction of Mr. W. D. Caroe; caen stone was used as far as possible, fragments of which were found in the churchyard and in the surrounding walls. The work was afterwards sprayed with a hardening solution to prevent the stone decaying. Handsome iron gates have been presented by Dr. Henry Owen.

Roch Castle.-Considerable further repairs have been carried out on this building. Gun-metal casements have been inserted, the pointing of the walls completed, a turret on the battlements has been rebuilt, and various internal improvements carried out. owner has also built a wall round the Castle with suitable gates.

The

Llandeloy Church.--This ruined building is shortly to be rebuilt. The ancient walls, except such portions as are not secure, will not be interfered with, and all original features will be preserved.

Prehistoric Weapons.-In October last some objects were found on the south-eastern side of Precelly Mountain, which were thought to be stone axe-heads, arrow-heads, etc. The gentleman in whose possession they were, upon being communicated with, was kind enough to place them at the disposal of the Association, and furnished particulars of the exact locality where found, etc. Upon examination, they proved to be field stones only.

St. Michael's, Pembroke.-Two pieces of what was apparently a cross belonging to this Church have been discovered, until now used as a stile by Hill Farm. They will shortly be removed to the precincts of the Church.

St. Daniel's, Pembroke.-Part of a hand-mill or a quern has lately been dug up in the churchyard here, and is being preserved in the Church.

Popton Cross. A portion of the village Cross, found in a garden wall there, has lately been rescued and set up again by Colonel Mirehouse, of Angle; the shaft was broken, but a piece of concrete has been joined on to it, the whole thing set up on some concrete works; the upper part of the Cross above the arms is missing, but probably is somewhere about, and may be recovered if a careful search is made.

J. W. PHILLIPS, Hon. Secretary.

THE newly-formed "Cedewain Field Club" has, during the past year, carried out an admirable and varied programme. Papers have been read. The Excursions were well attended. An excellent Report of the year's proceedings is edited by the Vice-President, Mr. Basil Evan Jones, a zealous member of the Cambrian Association.

Archaeologia Cambrensis

SIXTH SERIES.-VOL. XII, PART III

JULY, 1912

NOTES ON THE SPIRAL ORNAMENT
IN WALES.

BY RUPERT H. MORRIS, F.S.A.

THE alleged Eastern origin of Spiral Ornament has been ably discussed by Mr. George Coffey, M.R.I.A., in his series of articles on "The Origins of Prehistoric Ornament in Ireland." The question much disputed has been whether this style of ornament is essentially of Eastern or of Western origin, and, if Eastern, whether Egyptian or Assyrian. It is commonly recognised that Greek Art was largely influenced by contact with Egypt. Are we to go further back than Egyptian civilization, and trace what is distinctly characteristic of Egypt to a still earlier period? Is the "Spiral" motive with which we are immediately concerned a modification of the lotus ornament, or was it developed independently?

Mr. W. H. Goodyear in "The Grammar of the Lotus" maintains that the Ionic capital is derived from the lotus, and he refers the rosette, which figures so frequently in Egyptian ornament, to the ovary of the lotus. A ceiling pattern from the tombs of the XVIII Dynasty, circ. 1600 B.C., as given in "Histoire de l'Art Egyptien d'apres les Monuments," illustrates the system of interlocking spirals with associated lotus

forms.

1 Journal R.S.A., Ireland, 1894-5-6.

6TH SER., VOL. XII.

17

It is further suggested that "the familiar key or fret pattern, so generally regarded as distinctive of Grecian ornament, is in fact a squared four-fold spiral, and one of the many conventional forms of Egyptian spiral and lotus ornament." "The spiral is in fact simplified to straight lines." This is fully worked out with abundant illustrations in Mr. Coffey's article.

But we must leave this, and go on to ask how the spiral was brought into connection with Western civilization. This was through the intercourse, direct and indirect, established from very early times between Egypt, Asia Minor, and the Egean. The date assigned to the commencement of this intercourse varies from B.C. 1800 to B.C. 1200. Professor Flinders Petrie in his "Notes on the Antiquities of Mycena" remarks, "Certainly to Egypt a great deal must be attributed, if not indeed all the elements of import

ance.

The main feature of decoration is the spiral pattern, often elaborately involved. And the very elaborations that we find are exact copies of Egyptian decorations. . . . On the Egyptian ceilings are also the rosettes and the key-fret which are so frequent in Greece; and the palmetto is almost identical with a wooden panel bearing a derived lotus pattern of about 1300 B.C. which I found at Gurob." Mr. Coffey asserts, on the evidence of numerous finds of Mycenæan pottery in Egypt, and of Egyptian objects at Mycena and Ialysos (Rhodes), dated with names of the XVIII Dynasty (1587-1327 B.C.), and inscriptions of Thothmes III (1481-1449 B.C.), recounting among his tributaries the Kings of the Phoenicians and the Isles of the Great Sea, that the fifteenth century B.C. was the period at which the spiral of the Mycenæan patterns entered Europe through the gate of the Ægean.

But we are taken back to a much earlier date than this, for Sir Arthur Evans has found in Crete scarabs of the XII Dynasty (circ. 2700-2500 B.C.) which show the spiral design.

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