onal Cop

open moulds on one side only, and then hammered flat on the other. Moulds for casting celts in this way have been found in Ireland. It is also extremely interesting to notice that some stone celts betray the influence of metal types by their form. It may be well here to meet an objection that has been raised against a special use of copper in Ireland. It has been urged that the large number of flat copper celts may have been due to a scarcity of tin, and that as copper cannot be cast in closed moulds, casters who could cast advanced forms of bronze celts were obliged to return to the primitive form necessary for casting in an open mould. Copper ores are, however, very rarely found in a pure state, and the small impurities

per Halberd

l finds are

n 1874, in a bog at Knocknague, Kilbannon, County Galway. Purchased f

d a short blade of copper of somewhat similar form, found in 1892, near Birr,

ploughing at Cullinagh, near Beaufort, K

her in street excavations in Suffolk Street, Dublin,

.-Birr

at Clontoo, near Kenmare, County Ke

found together at

nd and before bronze was generally known. The celts from the Ray Collection mentioned above show that the fully developed celt was in use

nife and Awls fo

ollowing places in Ireland:-Carrickfergus; Ballymena; Loughgall, County An

ist of those in the National Collection, of which the localities are known, and, as well

er Celts fou

igbally, 1

-Copper

1 (R.

6); County Cork

terkenny, 1

1857: 2 large copper c

r celts, a copper knife, and three copper

r in 1868 when ploughing at Cullinagh. (Day Collection.) Clo

River Bann, near C

1. (R

llala, 1

celts from Ca

haughlin, 1

Dundrum, 1

ntfield, 1

Tramore,

lowing copper celts in ot

(Knowles C

ction, about 4. Ev

Collection, 1. Eva

(Day Co

1 (Day C

g.

and five others found in the K

2 (Day C

John Leslie'

lb

, though to judge by the form of the celts, we may place it at the end of the period, yet more primi

ld be classified as halberds or primitive daggers. The localities of the majority are not known further than that they have been found in Ireland; but from the kno

-Halber

n 2, Galway 8, Meath 1, King's County 1, Queen's County 1, Clare 1, Limerick 1, Cork 1. Sev

-Halber

y

-Halber

-Halberd

hese blades obtained in 1888 when making the railway near Hollywood, County Galway. They were described as having been found about 2? feet under the surface of a shallow bog "stuck in a bunch in the ground, with points down. No other relics appeared near them." We do not think it is any use attempting to place the halberds in a series of development; and no progression can be claimed for their forms othe

al

imens is appended which shows that the blades are practically of pure copper. This is interesting, as it removes the doubt expressed by Sir John Evans in "Bronz

y. Arsenic. Lead. Si

ck

i

ng's

99.02 0.22 Nil Ni

ntr

97.31 0.31 0.14 0.

alw

8.06 0.22 Nil Nil

Co

.30 0.30 0.27 0.3

97.24 0.18 Nil 1.5

m North Germany and S

of tin. From the straight mark across the blades, and some bronze tubular pieces for the handles, there seems no doubt that they were intended for straight wooden handles, and thus represent the earlier type. The blades are about 12? inches in length. It is important to note that the rivets are of two kinds: some are large and stout like the usual Irish form; and some have metal washers, like the solitary example found in Ireland (fig. 7), and which has caused some authorities to consider the Irish halberd blades somewhat later than we should care to place them. In general appearance these halberd blades from Stendal are closer to the Irish halberds than any of the others which have been found on the Continent, but do not include the curved or scythe-shaped form common to Ireland. Copper halberds, with remains

erts from Sou

th three only, are shorter than those in front of them. The shortness of the end-rivets and slope of the heads imply that the handle was rounded off behind the blade, as would be the case with a transverse shaft. So there appears no room to doubt the manner in which the long scythe-shaped blades were mount

k Markings,

about ·5 per cent. of tin. An increasing percentage of tin was not found in any of the copper celts, or, contrary to expectation, in the copper halberds; but, judging from the widespread use of copper implements in Ireland, from which it may be inferred that copper remained in use for a cons

from the Bann. Fig

s or picks have been found, which may, perhaps, have influenced the copper halberds; and if a stone pick-like instrument was in use in Neolithic times, it may explain to some extent the prevalence of the metal halberd in Ireland in the copper period. When the blades were made larger, the curved form would come into existence, being suggested by the deer-horn picks already in use. Copper came into use in Ireland, we may suppose, in no sudden or violent

orth Germany and Scandinavia, by way of the rich ore-fields of middle Europe. But the arch?ology of the Peninsula for this early period is at present too uncertain to speak with confidence. There are indications, even in Neolithic times, which, perhaps, point to Spain; but, again, there are relations which indicate a considerable correspondence with Brittany and the Nor

nds from El Argar at from 2500 to 2360 b.c.[11] Allowing, therefore, some margin on the later side, we should probably be fairly safe in placing the period when the halberds were in use in Ireland at the end of the third and beginning of the second millennium b.c. We must remember that the whole of the Irish Bronze Age has to be fitted in after the copper period; and if we are to allow sufficient room for the several periods and