Coffey — Irish Copper Halberds. 



103 



ever, more direct evidence on the subject. The halberds in this case go back 

 to the very beginning of the Bronze Age in that district. The form of these 

 copper blades was, however, in most cases T-shaped, and different from the 

 Irish examples. Fig. 3. 



Fig. 3.— S.-E. Spain. 



Halberds attached to their shafts are again shown among the prehistoric 

 rock-markings in the " Italian Maritime Alps," lately published with numer- 

 ous illustrations by Mr. C. Bicknell.' 



Fig. 4. — Rock-Markings, Maritime Alps. 



But the actual blades which can be classified with any certainty as 

 halberds are very rare in the North and Middle Italian districts, though 

 some of the copper and early bronze triangular dagger forms may have been 

 occasionally mounted as halberds. 



In the admirable guide published by the British Museum to the Antiquities 



of the Bronze Age, mention 

 is made (p. 117) of a hal- 

 berd-blade said to have been 

 found at Oalvatone, Cre- 

 mona, which, it is added, 

 " bears a striking resem- 

 blance to Irish specimens (fig. 60)." The reference is to the Irish specimen 

 from Wexford. But the Cremona blade is quite straight ; whereas that 

 from Wexford is of the usual Irish curved form, very like our No. 29. It is 



1 " Prehistoric Rock Engraving in the Maritime Alps." C. Bicknell, Bordighera, 1902. 



[15*] 



Fig. 5. — Cremona. (|.) 



