278 "Wilson — On an Ancient Bronze Shield. 



centre and the circumference, ■which contained, no doubt, the rivets 

 for slinging loops. The central hollow boss is now detached from the 

 disc, and is perfectly plain and unornamented. It measures about four 

 and a half inches across. It is probable that originally this shield was 

 backed up with leather or other substance. 



The shield is defective in a few places, a portion of its periphery 

 being absent, but is otherwise a remarkably fine and rare specimen of 

 repoussee bronze workmanship of a very early period. 



It was found in sandy soil on the property of Henry Healey, Esq. 

 of Ashby Decoy, in the north of Lincolnshire, in 1844; and was ex- 

 hibited at the Society of Antiquaries in 1865. 



This shield differs from the one bought by the Academy from Mr. 

 Lenihan in 1872 (see page 155), in the greater number of its concen- 

 tric circles of raised lines and knobs, as well as in the greater beauty 

 of its workmanship in general, and resembles the figures given by 

 Meyrick in his great work on ancient armour, and by Kemble in the 

 Horca Ferales. 



It is a noteworthy fact, as Kemble remarked, that while circular 

 Celtic shields are by no means rare in England, Scotland, and "Wales, 

 they are by a strange chance extremely rare in Ireland. We possess 

 but two undoubted specimens of shields in our Museum, one of wood, 

 described and figured by Sir William Wilde, the other of bronze, de- 

 scribed by Mr. Lenihan in our Proceedings, and figured in Plate VIII. 

 of the current volume of the Proceedings. 



Wilson, in his Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, de- 

 scribes a curious find of six bronze shields arranged in a circle, in Ayr- 

 shire, in 1780. It is probable that the shields chiefly in use in this 

 country at an early period were composed of wickerwork, hide and 

 wood, and that it is owing to the perishable nature of these substances 

 so few have come down to the present day ; there can be no doubt, 

 however, but that bronze shields were also in use, for the Irish MSS. 

 contain allusions to "shields with the brightness of the sun;" 

 " golden shields," " red shields," — expressions most applicable to the- 

 beautiful bright colour of the bronze as originallv turned out. 



[Note. — The shield described in the foregoing paper has been bought by the- 

 Academy, and is now in the Museum. A label attached to it says, " This shield 

 was found in 1843, at Burringhain, feet under ground, by excavators pre- 

 paring land for warping." — Ed.] 



