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
In some cases, though there were holes in the blade, there were
no rivets[811] in them, which led Mr. Bateman to think that they
were attached to their handles by ligatures. In a barrow in
Yorkshire,[812] Mr. Harland found, with remains of a burnt body, a
small bronze knife which still had adhering to it some portions of
cord partly charred, apparently the remains of what had formed the
attachment to the handle. Pins of wood, bone, or horn were no doubt
frequently used instead of metal rivets. Such pins seem to have been
commonly employed for securing spear-heads to their shafts. “An
instrument of brass,[813] formed like a spear-head, but flat and
thin,” was found in a barrow on Bincombe Down, Dorsetshire. “It had
been fixed to a shaft by means of three wooden pegs, one of which
remained in the perforation when found, but on being exposed to the
air fell immediately into dust.” In certain dagger blades with four
or more rivet-holes some are devoid of rivets, while there are metal
rivets in the others.
A remarkably small blade, only 1¾ inches long, with two rivet-holes,
was found in a tumulus in Dorsetshire.[814] Another (4⅛ inches) lay
with burnt bones, in what was regarded as a cleft and hollowed trunk
of a tree, in a barrow near Yatesbury,[815] Wilts. Another, more
triangular in shape, and also with two rivet-holes, was found in a
barrow near Stonehenge.[816]
Another (2½ inches) of the same character was found with burnt
bones, a needle of wood, and a broken flint pebble, in an urn at
Tomen-y-Mur,[817] near Festiniog, Merionethshire.
Of knife-daggers with three rivet-holes found in our southern
counties, may be mentioned one (5½ inches) found with a drinking
cup and a perforated stone axe, accompanying an unburnt interment,
in a barrow at East Kennett,[818] Wilts. Another (4¼ inches), also
accompanied by a stone axe-hammer, was found in a barrow called
Jack’s Castle,[819] near Stourton. The body had in this instance
been burnt. Another knife-dagger, also with burnt bones, in a barrow
at Wilsford,[820] was accompanied by two flint arrow-heads, some
whetstones, and some instruments of stag’s-horn. Another, protected by
a wooden scabbard, was found in a barrow at Brigmilston.[821]
What appear to have been blades of the same kind were found with burnt
bones in the barrows near Priddy,[822] Somerset, and Ashey Down,[823]
Isle of Wight (6 inches). The latter is tapering in form. One (7⅜
inches) which shows no rivets was found at Culter,[824] Lanarkshire.
An unfinished blade without rivet-holes was also found, with castings
of palstaves and flanged celts, at Rhosnesney,[825] near Wrexham.
From Derbyshire may be cited that from Carder Low,[826] already
described, and one from Brier Low.[827] Another from Lett Low,[828]
Staffordshire, has already been mentioned, as have been others
described by Bateman.[829] One from a barrow at Middleton[830] was
regarded by Pegge as a spear-head.
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