EARLY MAN 



wrought. The mid-rib is rounded. The surface of the implement is 

 corroded in places, and the edge also chipped. It is just over 9 in. in 

 length, the tang is 3 in. long, and the greatest width ij in. Tanged daggers 

 are extremely rare, being known chiefly from the Arreton Down deposit, in 

 the Isle of Wight. There, in 1735-7, some nine blades of the class (though 

 differing in detail) were found near Newport, upon the Down, with other 

 objects of the same material. 1 Though rare, the geographical distribution of 

 this class is somewhat wide. A specimen comes from Matlock, Derbyshire, 

 a second from Burwell Fen (both in the possession of Sir John Evans), another 

 from Swaffham Fen, Norfolk (now in the Cambridge Museum), and another 

 from Plymstock, in Devon. Ireland and the Continent also have yielded 

 examples. 3 The class is difficult to distinguish from 

 a type of spear-head, to which Sir John Evans and 

 Mr. Franks seem disposed to assign it. 8 



A fine offensive weapon, sharp at both edges 

 and point, was found at Winmarleigh in association 

 with three celts previously described. The details 

 of its discovery are somewhat dubious, but it is said 

 to have been ' found in a box near Garstang ' with 

 the other implements. Its length is 9! in. over all, 

 with a 7! in. blade. In width near the handle it 

 measures 1 1 in. ; it then narrows slightly and recurves 

 outwards, as shown in the photo, Plate V. No. u, 

 measuring i in. before turning again to the point. 

 The handle was made firm by a longitudinal ridge 

 on the tang which it enclosed. 



The photograph on Plate IV. No. 7 illustrates 

 a third dagger of interesting character, though 

 much smaller in size. It was found with an urn 

 and stone hammer (Plate II.-5) in a tumulus at 

 Highfield Lane, Middleton, Winwick. The end of 

 the handle or tang is broken near and partly through 

 a rivet-hole. Over all the weapon measures 4^ in., 

 with a blade of length 3 in., and breadth near the 

 handle of i J in. In shape, as may be seen from 

 the illustrations, it differs from the foregoing. From 

 its association it seems to be definitely a relic of 

 the Bronze Age, and it is characteristic also of the 

 deposits placed with interments early in the Bronze 

 Age. A bronze dagger, with spear-head and arrow-head, is vaguely reported 

 from burials on Lancaster Moor. 



(c) Spear-heads. Three excellent spear-heads are preserved in the 

 museums of Preston and Warrington. 8 The former is shown in fig. 22. 

 It is the plain leaf-shaped type, with long socket and a rivet-hole for fixing 

 the shaft. It measures gin. over all, with a 6| in. blade, which is if in. 

 across at its widest point. The mouth of the socket is ijin. in diameter. 

 It is recorded to have been found with many other remains, human and 



1 Antueohga xxxvi. 326. Evans, Bronze Imp. p. 260. 



s Mane. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Trans, v. 527, No. 6. 



235 



FIG. 22. BRONZE SPEAR-HEAD 



FROM PRESTON. I : 2. 



(Preston Museum.) 



