0(»FFKY AM) Akmstkong — HcawUnavian OIijccIh. 117 



Wk. 15. Meaaures 3^ inches in diameter, and 2'\ inches in licighL. The 



lini is incomplete. 

 Wk. 16. Pleasures 2|- inches in diameter, and 3 inches in height. The 



rim is incomplete. 

 Wk. 17. (fig. 5). Measures o\ inches in diameter, and 3| inches in 



height. The rim is incomplete. 

 Wk. 18. Measui-es o^ inches in diameter, and 2f inches in height. The 



rim is incomplete. 



In addition to these five bosses, six were labelled as found in the 

 neighbourhood of Kilmainham. They are numbered : — 



Wk. 20 and 20a. Incomplete fragments. 



Wk. 21. Measures 4f inches in diameter, and 2f inches in height. 



Eim incomplete. 

 Wk. 24 and 25. Incomplete. 

 Wk. 26. Measures 3i inches in diameter, and 2| inches in height. 



Eim incomplete. 



We have therefore four of the round and eighteen of the pointed bosses, 

 making twenty-two in all, found at Island-bridge and Kilmainham. 



Figure 6 shows one of two iron axe-heads found in the cutting of the Great 

 Southern and Western Eailway, and pre- 

 sented as the swords and spears. These 

 axe-heads are the ordinary Norse type 

 of fighting-axe. No special edge-piece is 

 apparent on these axes, as on those 

 later axes of the same type, which are 

 seen on the Bayeux Tapestry. The 

 axe appears to have been the principal 

 fighting-weapon of the Vikings ; and it 

 was borrowed from them by the Saxons, ^"'- 6.-Axe-head. v^v. 13 (J), 



who are represented on the Bayeux 



Tapestry fighting with axes. These axes are probably of native Norse make. 

 As Lorange says, in the finds of the stock of travelling smiths that have 

 been made in different countries no swords have been found, but only objects 

 of domestic use, for which the native iron according to the Scandinavian 

 authors was used.' The fighting-axe appears to be a development of the 

 old working-axe. 



Twenty-six iron tools of various kinds have been identified as found at 

 Island-bridge. Some of them are mentioned in Sir William Wilde's paper. 



' I.iivjiiii^i'. IV'ii Yiigio .Toriialilovs Sv;iii'i!, p. ;>7. 



[18*] 



