Coffey — Spear-heads of the Bronze Age found in Ireland. 495 



the socket at the junction -with the blade really represent the shoulders 

 of hafting. The blade springs in straight converging lines from the 

 socket, which represents the haft of the dagger. A wide expansion of 

 the blade at the base would be a contradiction of the essential lines of 

 the form. But with the development of the socket along the midrib, 

 the relations of the blade to the socket are completely changed. The 

 blade no longer springs from the socket as from a haft, but is attached 

 symmetrically to the sides of the socket, which now foims a midrib in 

 the blade. The springing of the blade fr'om the sides of the socket is 

 now energetically marked (fig. 8). Ultimately the lines of the blade 

 become straighter, and in the longer examples- of the looped spear-head 

 the blade assumes a more or less lozenge or trapezoidal form (fig. 12). 



The fluting along the sides of the socket (fig. 8) is replaced in the 

 majority of examples of the developed form by raised ribs, which 

 follow the line of the intersection of the fluting with the plane of the 

 blade. It is not clear that the ribs have been so developed, though 

 some of the fluted examples suggest that explanation. It is probable 

 that the ribbed dagger-blades have influenced the form. Figure 9 

 shows double ribbing. It resembles much in character the dagger- 

 blade (fig. 1). The Academy's collection numbers four examples with 

 double ribs. 



A point of interest may be noted in connection with the ornament 

 on the looped class. As a rule decoration is rare on the spear -heads of 

 all classes. But several examples of the preceding form of looped 

 spear-head are richly decorated with engraved and punched ornament. 

 The highly decorated spear-head (fig. 8) is another instance of this 

 class of ornament applied to a looped specimen. The dotted ornament 

 on this type is found on celts of the flanged type ("Wilde, fig. 262), 

 on a fine specimen of dagger with bronze haft (Wilde, fig. 334), and 

 on the Arreton Down examples, the imitation rivet bosses of which 

 are surrounded by punched marks in the same manner as the Irish 

 specimens (Evans, fig. 324). 



It may be added that the loops of the looped foiTa appear to have 

 been cast round at first, as shown by the moulds, and to have then 

 been flattened somewhat against the socket by hammering, producing 

 a lozenge-shaped surface. In several examples this flattened surface 

 is further marked by a lozenge-engraved or punched-in outHne. 



In these examples we see that the ornament closely agrees with 

 that of the dagger-blades, and associates the looped spear-head with 

 that form of weapon. 



In concluding this section a somewhat exceptional form of the 



