516 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



to the latest type of such celts, and approaches in shape the winged form. 

 Celts with highly developed flanges, and flanged celts with a slight 

 stop-ridge, would appear on the e^'idence of this find to have heen in 

 contemporary use. 



It may, therefore, be concluded that, apart from the evidence of evolution 

 shown in the object themselves, the fact that celts of widely different types 

 have not been discovered in hoards or finds associated together, indicates that 

 the various forms actually did succeed each other, and that once an improve- 

 ment was made, old-fashioned and less practical implements soon passed out 

 of use. Probably, many were melted down and recast into more useful 

 shapes. 



If finds of associated objects in which only one celt occurs are considered, 

 the same result is arrived at. The writer does not know of any Irish find 

 in which the more primitive types of bronze celts have been discovered in 

 association with bronze antiquities other than celts. The only finds known 

 to him are those in which either a palstave or socketed celts have been 

 discovered. In these cases all the objects associated with the celts belong to 

 advanced types. A list of some Irish Bronze- Age finds was published a few 

 years ago ;^ if this is examined, it will be found that bronze socketed celts 

 have occurred in association with socketed gouges, disc-headed pins, a razor, 

 bronze rings, bronze and gold fibulae, trimipets, crotals, socketed spear-heads, 

 a bronze dagger, and bronze knives. 



At Annesborough, near Lough Xeagh, Co. Armagh, a palstave was found, 

 together with two torques and a bronze fibula.= 



On the other hand, when early types such as halberds and lunulae have 

 been found with other objects, the latter are also early types. Halberds are 

 found either with halberds, as at Hillswood, Co. Galway,3when seven of these 

 blades were found in association, or with early implements, as at Birr, King's 

 Co., where three copper celts, a fragment of a fourth, a halberd, and a small 

 nondescript blade were all found together ;' lunulae have been found either 

 in conjunction with a flat celt* or associated together.' 



The origin of early metal working in Ireland is obscure ; but there can be 

 little doubt that bronze celts, such as those which have been described, were 

 made in this country and not imported. The following are the reasons 



' Cofifey, 27i« Bronze Age in Iidand, pp. 81-87. 



- CoflFey and Armstrong, Proc. Hoyal Irish. Academif, xxxii, sec. C, p. 171. 



^ Coffey, Proc. Royal Irish Academy, xxvii, sec. C, p. 97. 



* Coffey, -Journal Royid Anthropological Inaiitute, xsxi, pp. 276, 277. 

 ' Smirke, Archaeological Journal, xxii, pp. 275-277. 



* Coffey, Proc. Royal Irish Academy, xxvii, sec. C, pp. 252, 257. 



