gb0551ms-33-7

Transcription

[Page] 7
[continued from page 6]

had been graciously pleased to appoint me
a member of the Royal Commission on
Ancient Monuments, an honour I am
justly proud of.
Day by day I am working away with Miss Ker,
my typist, endeavouring to check the collections
in the prehistoric gallery with the catalogue.
So numerous are the interuptions to which
I am subjected that I make slow progress.
I have arranged to have the gold objects
displayed to proper advantage in dust-proof
boxes, covered with biscuit coloured linen,
instead of on open trays lined with faded
crimson baise, in which they have been ex:
:posed to the dust in the strong room nightly
for over 20 years till they are filthy.

3rd November 1913
Much of interest has happened since the
previous entry was written. At Rockcliffe
where we had rooms in the post office, I
excavated the Mote of Mark with results
far exceeding my expectations, for in
addition to discovering a vitrified wall
within a rampart of earth and stone, I obtained
very many fragments of moulds of fine clay
for castings of pins, Celtic brooches & other ornaments;
glass of remarkable quality which may turn out

to be Merovingian pottery, unglazed, not unlike
the similar ware found around mote hills, and
a number of iron objects.
While at Rockcliffe I acquired for the Museum
from Mr Houston a bronze rapier blade, one
of six, or possibly seven, found in the ditch of a
fort at Drumcoltran near Kirkgunzeon, many
years ago. I had heard of this find but no proof
of it reaching my ears I regarded it as apocryphal.
My joy was great, therefore, when an unknown
individual drew me aside while I was excavating
to ask if I could date some swords in his possession
of these he had three, all of which are now in the
Museum, the two others beside the one presented
being lent. A Mr. Bell at Torbeck:
:hill tantalised me all summer with a rather
well preserved Viking sword found while a
quarry was being opened on his property. I
was first told it, I should say, in April, when a
man reported its existence at the Museum and
said he thought Mr Bell would give it to us
if I asked him. This I did but received no
reply to my letter. A month or two later a Minister
from Bathgate called with a sword for my
opinion: As I Knew there could not be two
swords of the type knocking about I at once
[continued on page 8]