Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
saw-marks on the under edges of the transverse slips show that the
cutting of the teeth was performed after the pieces of the comb were
fastened together. The rest of the combs are all double-edged. One
measuring 2¾ inches by 2 inches (Fig. 235), is formed of four slips of
bone inserted between two transverse slips, and held together by three
rivets of iron. [Illustration: Fig. 236.—Double-edged Comb of Bone from
Broch of Burrian (5½ inches in length).] The transverse slips are
ornamented by a single line incised along each border, and by four sets
of two concentric circles with central dots ranged at equal distances
along the centre of the slips. The teeth are widely but regularly cut,
narrowing towards the points, and those towards the sides of the comb
shorter than those in the middle. Another comb of the same character
(Fig. 236) measures 5½ inches in length, by 2 inches in breadth. This is
the largest comb obtained from a Broch. It is formed of six slips of
bone enclosed between two transverse slips fastened by five rivets of
iron. Above and below each rivet is an ornamented dot and circle
marking. A similar marking is placed in the centre of each of the broad
terminal teeth at either end of the comb. The transverse slips are much
marked by the saw. The teeth are well cut and regular in length and
thickness; they show strongly the marks of wear by use, chiefly towards
their bases, where minute transverse lines are worn deeply into the
corners of the teeth, almost completely encircling them. Besides these
combs for the hair, there were found no fewer than eighteen of the
long-handled combs, which are of such frequent occurrence among the
relics recovered from Brochs. That shown in Fig. 233 appears to be of
deerhorn, but they are mostly made from portions of the outer table of
the jaw-bone of the whale. They vary in length from 3 inches to 5½
inches. [Illustration: Fig. 237.—Long-handled Comb from the Broch of
Burrian, Orkney (4¾ inches in length).] They also vary considerably in
the size and form of the teeth, some, like Fig. 238, having teeth that
are short and pointed, and rounded in section, while the teeth of
others, like those in Fig. 239, are longer, less pointed, and more
rectangular in section. [Illustration: Fig. 238.—Long-handled Comb from
the Broch of Burrian (4¼ inches in length).] It has been already stated
that sixteen combs of the ordinary single and double-edged forms which
are characteristic of the comb used for the hair were found in this
Broch. [Illustration: Fig. 239.—Long-handled Comb from the Broch of
Burrian (4 inches in length).] It is therefore probable that these
eighteen long-handled combs were intended for some other purpose. They
are not only unfitted by their clumsiness for this special and personal
use, but the strength of the teeth, their coarseness, and the manner in
which they are marked by the use to which they have been put are
suggestive of implements for some manufacturing process rather than
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account