The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons, and Ornaments, of Great Britain and Ireland.Evans, John
History
The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons, and Ornaments, of Great Britain and Ireland.
Evans, John
Bronze age -- Great Britain; Bronze age -- Ireland; Great Britain -- Antiquities
It will be observed that in the Fornham celt the first and last ribs
form beadings at the angles of the square shaft. In the other none of
the beads come to the edge of the face. I have a celt like Fig. 133,
but shorter (4 inches), from the hoard found in Reach Fen, already
mentioned. Another (4⅛ inches), in all respects like Fig. 133, except
that the outer ribs are not at the angles, was found at Brough,[447]
near Castleton, Derbyshire, and is in the Bateman Collection, where
is also another (4¼ inches) from the Peak Forest, Derbyshire. Canon
Greenwell, F.R.S., has one (4½ inches) from Broughton, near Malton,
on one face of which there are only four ribs, and in the place where
the central rib would terminate, a ring ornament. The other face of
the celt has only four ribs at regular intervals, ending in pellets.
Another, similar (5 inches), was found in the Thames, near Erith.[448]
I have seen another rather more hexagonal in section, which was found
in the Cambridge Fens.
Celts with vertical ribs ending in pellets are occasionally found in
France. One from Lutz (Eure et Loir) is in the museum at Chateaudun;
others are in that of Toulouse. Another with four ribs, found at
Cascastel, is in the museum at Narbonne. Canon Greenwell has one from
l’Orient, Brittany.
I have a small one like Fig. 120 in form, but barely 3 inches long,
found near Saumur (Maine et Loire). It has five ribs, arranged as on
Fig. 133.
An example with a far larger array of vertical ribs than usual is
shown in Fig. 134. The ribs are arranged in groups of three, and each
terminates in a small pellet. The outer lines are so close to the
angles of the celt as almost to merge in them. This instrument was
found at Fen Ditton, Cambridge, and is now in the collection of Canon
Greenwell, F.R.S.
[Illustration: Fig. 134.—Fen Ditton. ½]
[Illustration: Fig. 135.—Bottisham. ½]
[Illustration: Fig. 136.—Winwick. ½]
On some celts there is, besides the row of roundels or pellets at the
end of the ribs, a second row a little higher up, as is shown in Fig.
135, which represents a specimen in the British Museum, from Bottisham
Lode, Cambridge. The sides of this celt are not flat, but somewhat
ridged, so that in its upper part it presents an irregular hexagon in
section. There are ribs running down the angles, with indications of
terminal pellets.
In the Warrington Museum is a curious variety of the celt with the
three vertical ribs ending in pellets, which by the kindness of
the trustees of the museum I have engraved as Fig. 136. It will
be seen that in addition to the vertical ribs there is a double
series of chevrons over the upper part of the blade. The metal is
somewhat oxidised, and the pattern is made rather more distinct in
the engraving than it is in the original. This celt has already
been figured on a smaller scale, and was found at Winwick,[449] near
Warrington, Lancashire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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