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
The celt shown in Fig. 5 might perhaps be more properly placed among
the flanged celts, as, without having well-developed flanges along
the sides, there is a projecting ridge running along either margin
of the faces, in consequence of the sides having been somewhat
chamfered, or having had their angles beaten down by hammering. It was
found on Preston Down, near Weymouth, Dorsetshire; but I do not know
under what circumstances. It has become thickly coated with a dark
sage-green patina, which has in places been unfortunately knocked off.
The beautiful original ornamentation of the celt has been admirably
preserved by the patina. The greater part of the surface has been
figured with a sort of grained pattern like morocco leather, probably
by means of a punch in form like a narrow blunt chisel. The faces of
the blade are not flat, but taper in both directions from a ridge
rather more than half-way up the blade. Along the lower side of this
somewhat curved ridge, and again about an inch above the cutting edge,
a belt of chevrons has been punched in, having the appearance of a
plaited band. Below the lower band the surface has been left smooth
and unornamented, so that grinding the edge would not in any way
injure the pattern. The upper part of the blade has at the present
time exactly the appearance of dark green morocco with “blind-tooling”
upon it. No doubt many blades which were originally ornamented after
the same fashion as this specimen have now, through oxidation or
the accidental destruction of the patina, lost all traces of their
original decoration. On this, where the patina has been destroyed,
nothing can be seen of the graining.
I have a flat celt from Mildenhall, Suffolk (6 inches), in form like
Fig. 6, the greater part of the surface of which has been grained in a
similar manner, though the graining is now almost obliterated.
In the collection of the Duke of Northumberland[183] is a large celt
which appears to be of the flat kind, with the side edges “slightly
recurved,” and with the surface “elaborately worked with chevrony
lines and ornaments which may have been partly produced by hammering.”
It was found in Northumberland.
Another belonging to James Kendrick, Esq., M.D., found at Risdon,[184]
near Warrington, is described as being “ornamented with punched lines
in a very unusual manner.” Another, of which a bad representation
from one of Dr. Stukeley’s drawings is given in the _Archæologia_, is
said to have been found in the long barrow at Stonehenge.[185] One 4½
inches long, the faces ornamented with a number of longitudinal cuts,
was found near Sidmouth.[186]
[Illustration: Fig. 6.—Read. ½]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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