CoFFi'-Y — Irish Copper Halberds. 97 



No. 8 is straight, pointed, and apparently had six rivets. It is exceptional ; 

 but the metal is copper and similar to the other halberds. It resembles 

 somewhat in outline the rock-markings in the Maritime Alps. See page 103. 



No. 9, from Ballyboley, County Antrim, appears to have had only two 

 rivets, but is otherwise of the same class of blades. It has been analysed. 



No. 10 is noticeable for the mid-rib divided along its length into three 

 by a sort of reeding; and the form resembles somewhat the dagger-type. 

 No. 12, which measures 12| inches in length, partakes also rather of the 

 dagger-type ; but the rivets, as explained, p. 104, dispose me to consider it to 

 be a halberd. 



No. 11 is a short, triangular blade with four rivets, found at Tallyhaw, 

 County Cavan. It will be noticed that it has a slight curve, anticipating or 

 influenced by the longer curved blades. 



What may be considered as the developed or normal type of the Irish 

 halberd blade is slightly but distinctly curved, so that they have been called 

 "scythe-shaped." They vary from about 9 inches to 15 or 16 inches in length, 

 and about 3 to 4 inches in breadth at the widest part ; with few exceptions 

 they have three rivets with somewhat large heads. The various sizes are 

 well represented in a find of seven of these blades obtained in 1850 when 

 making the railway near Hillswood, County Galway. They were given to 

 the Eoyal Irish Academy by the Chief Engineer, Mr. G. W. Hemans, 

 who wrote that they were found about 2J feet under the surface of 

 a shallow bog, " stuck in a bunch in the ground, with points down. No other 

 relics appeared near them."^ 



Numbers 13 to 19 Plates are these blades, the largest of which is 16 1 

 inches by 3|- inches, and the smallest 11 inches by 3-|- inches. One 

 specimen, No. 19, has been analysed. 



There is a similar blade. No. 29 in the collection, no locality, which 

 measures 15f inches by 3f inches, but usually they do not much exceed 

 12 inches in length. 



A specimen in the British Museum from the County Wexford, also very 

 similar to those mentioned, measures lb\ inches long. 



Another long and well-curved blade of the same type is shown, No. 

 20, no locality. It is remarkable for the large conical metal (copper) washers 

 attached to the heads of the rivets. This class of rivet-head is known to 

 belong to an early part of the Bronze Age f but it is the only example of 

 the form that has as yet been found in Ireland. 



1 Proc. E.I. A., vol. iv., p. 566. 



2 Montelius, "Die Chronologic deraltesten Bronzezeit in Noid-Deutsuhland undSuandinavien." 



