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 tastefully ornamented celt shown in Fig. 21 was found near Nairn,
and is now in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,
to the Council of which I am indebted for the use of the cut. The
wreathed lines appear to have been produced by a chisel-like punch.
The ornamentation of both faces is almost exactly similar.
I have two flat celts, both said to have been found near Falkland,
Fifeshire, one of which (6¾ inches) has had grooves about half an inch
apart worked in the faces parallel to the sides, so as to form very
pointed chevrons down the centre of the blade. The other (5 inches
long) has had broad shallow dents about ½ inch long and ⅛ inch apart
made in its faces, so as to form a herring-bone pattern.
The doubly tapering celt shown in Fig. 22 is also said to have been
found near Falkland. Below the ridge the face has been ornamented with
parallel belts of short, narrow indentations arranged longitudinally
for about half the length of the lower face, but nearer the edge
transversely. The sides are worked into three longitudinal facets.
[Illustration: Fig. 22.—Falkland. ½]
[Illustration: Fig. 23.—Greenlees. ½]
Of Scottish flanged celts resembling Fig. 9, the following may be
mentioned. One found in Peeblesshire[230] (5⅜ inches long, with a
circular depression on one face); one from Longman,[231] Macduff,
Banffshire (3¾ inches long).
Another of the same class, having a round hole at the upper part of
the blade, is said to have been found in Scotland, and is engraved by
Gordon.[232]
A celt with but slightly raised flanges and peculiar ornamentation is
shown in Fig. 23. It was found at Greenlees,[233] near Spottiswoode,
Berwickshire, and is in the collection of Lady John Scott. There is a
faintly marked stop-ridge, above which the blade has been ornamented
by thickly set parallel hammer or punch marks. The sides are fluted in
a cable pattern. Parallel to the cutting edge are three slight fluted
hollows, and on the blade above are segments of concentric hollows
of the same kind, forming what heralds would term “flanches” on the
blade. Whether in this ornament we are to see a representation of the
“flanches” of the winged palstave like Fig. 85, such as is so common
on socketed celts, or whether it is of independent origin, I will not
attempt to determine.
[Illustration: Fig. 24.—Perth. ½]
[Illustration: Fig. 25.—Applegarth. ½]
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