I 



Coffey — Spear-heads of the Bronze Age found in Ireland. 487 



pair of loops either in or immediately below the base of the blade. 

 Socketed spear-heads of bronze have never in any well-authenticated 

 instance been found with interments in Britain." 



Sii' John Evans adopts as the basis of his classification Sir W. 

 Wilde's classification of Irish spear-heads nnder four varieties : — 



I. The simple leaf-shaped, either long and narrow or broad, with 



holes in the socket through which to pass the rivets to fix 



them to the shaft. 

 II. The looped, with eyes on each side of the socket below and on 



the same plane as the blade. These are generally of the 



long, narrow, straight-edged kind. 

 III. Those with loops in the angles between the edge of the blade 



and the socket. 

 ly. Those with side apertures and perforations through the blade. 



To these four classes Evans adds : — 



V. Those in which the base of each side of the blade projects at 

 right angles to the socket, or is prolonged downwards so as 

 to form barbs. 



It will be convenient to adopt the above classification for the pur- 

 poses of description, with the exception of class Y. : this latter type has 

 not been found in Ireland, and need not here be further considered. 

 But the order of classification does not throw any light on the suc- 

 cession and development of forms, and will not be adhered to in the 

 present Paper. 



It should be stated that, following previous writers, no attempt 

 is made to distinguish between the lighter forms, javelins, lances, 

 &c., and the heavier or true spear-heads. They agree so closely in 

 form it is not possible to separate them except by the doubtful method 

 of size. They vary from two inches to thirty-six inches in length. 



Irish spear-heads may be divided into two well-defined groups, 

 looped and riveted, the second and first divisions of the previous clas- 

 sification. It will be found that the separation of type extends farther 

 than the mode of attachment. The form of the blade of each class is 

 quite distinct. So marked is this difference that, if the socket be 

 covered, it is possible to pick out at a glance which are looped and 

 which are riveted. Further, although the spear -heads of both classes 

 are rarely decorated, the evidence, as far as it goes, supports this broad 

 division. 



The museum of the Eoyal Irish Academy contains 188 specimens 



