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B
ANGLO-SAXON—FAIEEORD, GLOTJCESTEESHIRE.
skeletons, tlie decayed remains of similar sittdas were discovered: these skeletons, being accompanied
by weapons, were evidently of the male sex. Tlie skeleton, near the head of which the
curious glass vessel here figured was found, appears to have been that of a female. This vessel
is about six and a half inches in height*. With the skeleton were a pair of richly ornamented
concave fibula;, a great number of glass and amber beads, part of a bronze chatelaine, and
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Dish-shaped fibula.—Actual sise. Glass vase,—Third-size,
fragments of an ambiguous iron blade, supposed at the time to have belonged to a dagger, but
which may have been that of a knife. Two smaU vases of coarse pottery were found in the same
position as the situlse and other vessels above described: that of which a figure is given, by
Mr. Wylie, is cleai-ly of Teutonic type. By the arms of male skeletons, evidently those of
warriors, bronze tweezers were occasionally found; such implements not being discovered, so
far as appears, with any female skeletons. In one of these instances, a large bead of glass lay
near the wrist; and several such amulet-beads of amber, Kimmeridge shale, and glass, one of
the last of great beautyt, were observed near the wrists or hands of other male skeletons.
There is no evidence as to the particular grave from which the set of toUet implementstooth
and ear-picks, &c.—was taken.
Set of toilet implements.—Half-size. Dish-shaped fibula.—Actual size.
Whether in any instance Wm fibulcB, of wMch a great number were found, were the ornaments
of males, does not appear to have been clearly ascertained, though in a few cases they were
so rcgardedj : the majority had obviously belonged to females. They were chiefly of the circular
* A more accurate representation of this glass vessel, of the
full size, is given in "Fairford Graves," plate 1.
f This beautiful and richly coloured bead has been figured
by Mr. Akerman, in his " Pagan Saxoudora," plate 21.
20.
J Careful observation as to the sex of the skeletons in other
Anglo-Saxon cemeteries, leads us to doubt the use by the
Anglo-Saxon chieftains of the large so-called cruciform fibulie
as personal ornaments, and whether they were not confined to
the other sex.
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