Three years ago, when I first had the honour of addressing the Society on this occasion, I referred at some length to our urgent need of larger funds for purposes of research and for publishing the results of research; and in the following year I suggested that even quite small bequests or gifts would, if there were enough of them, go far towards meeting our requirements. I am glad therefore to give the first place in my observations to-night to the mention of the very substantial bequest which the Society has received from our late Fellow Mr. Garraway Rice. This bequest, amounting to over £5,420, the income of which may be devoted to research at the discretion of the Council, will enable us to add some £200 a year to our expenditure in this direction. I cannot claim this bequest as a result of my appeal; it had been embodied in a will made long before that date, and is attributable to the enlightened (I might almost say, inspired) action of one of my predecessors in making the testator a Vice-President. We cannot look for many bequests on such a scale as this, since Fellows have for the most part other claims which must take precedence of archaeology; but some might be able to spare small sums (not necessarily to be hoarded as capital) which they could feel would be devoted to the cause to which, as Fellows of the Society, they had vowed themselves, and which would greatly strengthen the hands of those who would come after them. I have some grounds to hope that this suggestion may bear fruit, though I have no wish to expedite its fructification.

The Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral very kindly gave me permission to exhibit Flambard's crosier to the Society after it had been cleaned and repaired in the Laboratory of the British Museum during the latter part of 1937, and I am further indebted to them for allowing me to print the notes that I prepared for the evening of its exhibition. I must also record my gratefulness to them for sending Flambard's ring to London in order that the Society might have the pleasure of inspecting both these famous relics of the celebrated bishop.

One of the outstanding features of ancient craftsmanship in gold and bronze is the decoration of ornaments and weapons with patterns of incised lines, or with dots. Hitherto very few of the actual tools by means of which this decoration was effected have been identified, though their widespread use is proved by the very large number of specimens in our museums upon which they have been employed. Indeed, by their purely conventional use of such terms as ‘awl’ and ‘celt’ archaeologists actually blind themselves to the real nature and significance of such tools, and these notes by a metallurgical worker may accordingly serve a useful purpose in drawing attention to the true character of some of them.

Of the five swords to be described four, of iron, come from the Middle Thames basin. The fifth is sculptured on stone and comes from the North Riding of Yorkshire. It is especially interesting as a commentary on one of the iron swords.

Under each sword description there has been added a brief note on types and possible affinities.

I have to thank Mrs. Brakspear, the vicar of Ebberston, the Thames Conservancy Board, and Reading Museum for allowing me to publish the swords; and Messrs. W. A. Smallcombe, W. Seaby, C. Scott, R. Patterson, D. E. Redfearn, J. D. Cowen, and T. D. Kendrick for much help given.

It is now some years since I first drew attention to the discovery of certain very perfect leaf-shaped blades, of Early Solutré type, at Ipswich. These specimens were found during the putting in of deep foundations for a chimney-shaft at the Ipswich Corporation's Power Station in Constantine Road. The blades, which are unabraded, came from below a considerable thickness of gravel, where, it may be supposed, there at one time existed a land surface inhabited by Early Solutré man. This land surface is now buried beneath the Flood Plain terrace of the River Gipping, and is well below the water-table of the locality. It is clear, therefore, that since Early Solutré man lived in the Gipping Valley, a marked sinking of the East Anglian area has taken place. Following the appearance of my paper upon the blades found at Constantine Road, Ipswich, other specimens which, by their forms and manner of flaking, are also referable to Early Solutré times have been recovered. These examples have come to light about a mile farther up the valley. The site is situated on the south-west of the Bramford Road where the Flood Plain gravel is being exploited by Messrs. Warren Livingstone, Ltd. The gravel is raised by means of a powerful suction-pump, and, from my observations at Bramford Road, I entertain little doubt that, as at Constantine Road, the Flood Plain Early Solutré land-surface is present there below the Flood Plain gravel.

In the summer of 1932 two young geologists, Messrs. C. W. and E. V. Wright, while examining the low cliffs of the Humber Bank, near North Ferriby, noticed dark patches of black earth containing bones and sherds (Y.A.J. xxxi, 199). The material collected by them from these pits at various times since then forms the principal subject of this paper.