IronwasnotusedinBrittanyuntiltowardsthecloseoftheperiodduringwhichmegalithicmonumentswereerected。Stone，bronze，andironwerefoundtogetherintheNignoltombatCarnac，whichdatesfromthetimewhencremationwasalreadypractised。WefindthesameassociationofdifferentmaterialsintheRocherdolmen。
IntheBritishIsles，especiallyinScotlandandinIreland，bronzeandironobjectsaremorenumerousthaninFrance。AtAspatria，nearSt。BeesinCumberland，acistwasdiscoveredcontainingtheskeletonofamanmeasuringsevenfeetfromthecrownoftheheadtothefeet。Nearthegiantlaynumerousvaluableobjects，includinganironswordinlaidwithsilver，agoldbuckle，thefragmentsofashieldandofabattle-axe，andtheironbitofasnafflebridle。ThegreatcairnofDowth，inIreland，containedironknivesandringsmixedwithboneneedles，copperpins，andglassandamberbeads，allshowingrapidprogressintheindustrialarts。TheremarkablecairnsnearLoughCrewIreland，whichwereuntouchedandindeedunknowntoarchaeologistsuntil1863，werefoundtocontain，amongstmanyotherinterestingobjects，numeroushumanbones，fragmentsofpottery，shellsofmarinemollusca，4，884boneimplements，andsevenpiecesofironverymuchoxidized。ThetumulioftheGrandDuchyofPosenandthoseofPrussiacoverkistvaenscontainingfuneralvases，weapons，andsilverandgoldornaments。
Wearealtogetherinthedarkastothedateortheuseofthevariousobjectsfoundinthesetombs，andthecoinsbearingdateswhichareoftenassociatedwiththem，donotseemtohelpusmuch，belongingastheydoubtlessdotoamuchlaterperiodthantheerectionofthemonuments。Wemay，however，mentionthatnearthesurfaceofthemoundofMane-er-H’roekelevenmedalsofRomanemperorsfromTiberiustoTrajanwerefound；whilstunderthetumulusofRosmeur，onthePenmarchPointFinistere，werevariousRomancoins；atBergousinLocmariaker，atMane-Rutual，andatotherplacesinBrittany，coinsoftheearliestChristianemperors；atUley，inGloucestershire，somecoinsofthetimeofthesonsofConstantine；atMining-LowDerbyshire，beneathakistvaensurroundedbyacromlech，somemedalsofValentinianus；
atGalley-Low，withamagnificentgoldnecklacesetwithgarnets，acoinofHonorius，butastheselastwerefoundattheouteredgeofthemoundtherearedoubtsastothetimeoftheirdeposition；
thesedoubtswere，however，tosomeextentsetatrestbythefindingofacoinofGetabeneaththemonumentitself。Wemightmultiplyinstancesofsimilarfinds，butIwillonlymentiononemore，thediscoveryundersomeScotchbarrowsofsilvernecklacesandcoinsoftheCaliphsofBagdad，bearingdatefrom88887to945A。D。