Coffey — Irish Cojrper Halberds. 95 



(3) The type of the copper celt is distinct, and in general is easily distin- 

 guished from that of the bronze. Bat the whole development of the metal 

 form of flat celt took place within the copper series. This is illustrated by a 

 progressive refinement of form and increasing flare of the cutting edge, and 

 such special points as the moving up of the thickest part of the celt in 

 section, from near the edge to the middle of the blade, marking the change 

 from the stone form to that of metal. This development of the celt is 

 completed before copper goes out of use ; in other words, the bronze celt 

 begins at the finished copper type. This point is important, as it excludes 

 other explanations of the absence of tin (in a bronze proportion) from these 

 copper celts. 



(4) The " finds," though few, support the general argument. In some 

 cases several copper implements have been found together ; and bronze 

 implements are not found in the copper finds, or copper in the bronze.^ 



One find is of particular interest in connexion with the present paper. 

 In the collection of Mr. Eobert Day, of Cork, and found near Birr, King's 

 County, are : — three celts, a fragment of a fourth, a halberd, and a small 

 nondescript blade, perhaps a fragment of a similar implement reworked, as 

 also the fragment of the celt appears to have been.- All the objects are 

 of copper, and appear to be of the same quality of metal, which was noticed at 

 the time they were found " as certainly not bronze, but seem to be all copper." 

 I had no doubt they were copper ; but as the halberd was of more than 

 ordinary interest on account of the associated objects, I asked Mr. Day to 

 allow me to have the halberd an alysed. Mr. Day readily consented ; and my 

 thanks are due to him for the very generous way in which he has, on this as 

 on many former occasions, readily assisted investigation. The analysis of the 

 halberd proved it to be a typical copper. It is the first on the list of analysed 

 specimens, p. 99. 



The Birr find shows us that the halberd was in use in the fuU Copper 

 Period ; and, judging by the form of the celts, we may place that specimen 

 towards the end of the period. But more primitive types of the halberd are 

 known ; we may therefore presume that the halberd goes back to well into 

 the time of the Copper Period. 



The National Collection at Dublin contains 49 specimens of these broad, 

 coppery blades. In a few cases there may possibly be a doubt as to whether 

 they should be classified as halberds or primitive daggers. The localities of 



1 To the finds mentioned in the paper on copper celts should be added : — two copper celts found 

 at Clontoo, County Kerry (1906: 5 & 6), and two found in 1857 in a street- cutting iu Dublin 

 (1906: 435-6). 



2 All the objects are figured in my paper on the celts, PI. xxxiii. 



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