112 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



of the Bronze Age of Europe, estimates the Copper Periods of France and the 

 north of Germany from before 2000 B.C. The next or true Bronze Period he 

 puts at from 1850 B.C. 



Allowing a margin of some two centuries, these dates can be fairly trans- 

 ferred, I think, to Britain and Ireland without likelihood of serious error. 

 As far as I can see, the only approximately fixed points we have to argue 

 from for Ireland are {a) the occurrence of the halberd with the copper 

 celts (Birr find), which places beyond question the pre-bronze character of 

 the curved halberd, and (&) the rare form of rivet with metal washers which 

 occurs in one of the curved forms. This latter blade and rivets show 

 considerable skill in metal-working, and may be presumed to be at least 

 not earlier than the middle of the Copper Period in Ireland. The peculiar 

 form of the rivet corresponds to that of some of the rivets on the bronze 

 halberd-blades from Stendal (fig. 2). This form of rivet is found on other 

 objects of the early Bronze Age ; and we cannot suppose it to have been an 

 independent invention in Ireland. It is true this class of rivet may have 

 continued in use for some time in the early Bronze Age ; but it is not 

 known as yet in the copper implements on the Continent, and thus seems 

 to bring the Irish copper halberds in sight of the Bronze Age of Upper 

 Europe, It is therefore a probable conclusion that the Copper Period in 

 Ireland was contemporary with an early stage of the Bronze Age of Middle 

 Europe. 



Now Stendal lies in the path of one of the oldest culture routes, the 

 Elbe, from the Adriatic northward across Europe. The important mineral 

 fields of Bohemia and Saxony must, no doubt, have been reached at a very 

 early time in the use of metals. Tin is abundant in that district ; and the 

 copper ores appear to be " tinny " ores, comparable in that respect to those 

 of Cornwall, thus leading easily to a knowledge of bronze. In fact, an 

 origin of European bronze has sometimes been claimed for that locality; 

 though, on the whole, this seems improbable, at least as regards the origin 

 of the alloy, inasmuch as earlier dates are known for bronze in Egjq^t and 

 certain eastern culture- centres than any ascribed to the alloy in Europe. 

 But the Upper Danube region may be considered as the most important 

 sub-centre for the dispersion of the knowledge of bronze in Europe, A 

 date of about 2000 B.C. may therefore be mentioned for the commencement of 

 the Bronze Age in that region. 



Somewhere between 1600 and 1800 B.C. may then be set down as a probable 

 date for the end of the Copper Period in Ireland. There is no evidence that the 

 Irish gold deposits were sought at this early period ; but in the early Bronze 



