The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
History
The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.
Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
Lake-dwellers and lake-dwellings -- Ireland
The two spear-heads from Lagore, (fig. 18), are in fine preservation
and very sharp; their length 10 in. In the crannog of Lisnacroghera,
a magnificent spear-head of iron was discovered, of which a front and
side view (half-size) is given, plate X. Spear-heads of this class
have been commonly met with in the larger lacustrine sites, but this
specimen is invested with a peculiar interest, from its being found in
company with a number of bronze objects, whose use up to the present
was unknown to antiquarians. It is now certain they were the butt-ends
of spear-shafts--indeed two were discovered with the ends of their
shafts still remaining in them. The mode in which one--and probably
others also--had been attached to the handle is thus described by
Canon Greenwell:--“The end of the shaft is split, and into the split
is inserted a wedge of iron, so that when driven home, the wedge
expanded the end of the shaft, and kept it firm in the butt.” In
Anderson’s _Scotland in Pre-historic Times_ one is described as having
been found in Orkney. Like its Lisnacroghera fellows, it differs from
the generality of Irish remains of its class, in the possession of
a rich moulding bisecting the neck, but in all other particulars the
style is identical. All the specimens of this class here figured were
obtained by Canon Grainger from the crannog of Lisnacroghera. To one
bronze butt was attached the whole of the shaft, 8 feet in length,
furnished at top with a beautifully designed loop of bronze (see plate
XI), and upon it was displayed a perfect Greek fret, with provision for
the reception of enamel. From the same locality was procured also the
highly interesting fragment which forms the central object of plate
XI. It is portion of a spear-shaft retaining its bronze ferrule, and
the rivet, also of bronze, by which the head was secured; this band or
ferrule, being exceptionally beautiful, has been drawn as if rolled
out. Adjoining the edges are slightly projecting fillets, enclosing a
space through which runs a graceful wavy pattern in relief. The hollows
were doubtless enamelled, as in the case of similar ornamentation on
some bronze remains in the same “find.” The space between the fillets
or bands is occupied by a singular design, and this design, all but the
circular bosses, four in number, may be described as in low relief.
The intervening spaces, like those of the fillets above and below,
at one time contained coloured enamel. Altogether the style of
this object represents as it were a combination of classic and Celtic
ornamentation. The smaller and even more classic-looking ferrule to the
left of plate XI. has already been noticed (_ante_, p. 64); the figure
to the right (plate XI.) represents a bronze rivet of curious form,
with well-sunk depressions on one of its sides, like those seen on a
cog-wheel.[92]
[Illustration: Plate XI.
Portion of Spear-shaft, with ferrules and rivet of Bronze. Full size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 24. Bronze Dagger from Lagore.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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