44 Objects comprised in Lord Dercmore's Recent Donation, 



The collection contains fourteen polished stone celts, vary- 

 ing from 2\ inches to 13 inches long. These are the hatchet- 

 shaped implemeuts, which are so well represented in all collec. 

 tions of Irish antiquities, and of which vast numbers have been 

 found, and are still being found, in Ireland ; perhaps I might 

 say especially in County Antrim. Most of these fourteen celts 

 are of close-grained black stone, in fact, varieties of basalt, but 

 the largest, and another next to it in size, are of a whitish- 

 coloured stone. Some of the middle-sized ones, say from 4 to 

 5 inches long, are in very fine and perfect condition, and there is 

 one of very unusual form with the side edges flattened and 

 hollowed ; one of the larger, about 6 inches long has been 

 made from a slaty rock, and large flakes have weathered off 

 both sides, leaving, however, the edge intact. 



The objects of flint are few in number ; there are two well- 

 marked flint-flakes of light-coloured flint, both showing 

 secondary working. 



There are twenty-five flint arrow-heads, barbed, stemmed, 

 and leaf-shaped, from | inch to 2\ inches in length. Many of 

 these are beautifully chipped into form, and show what exquisite 

 skill the flint workers of our stone-age had attained to. 



We come now to the antiquities formed of bronze. This 

 fine metal, which has been found by analysis to be made up of 

 about ten parts of copper and one part of tin, is exceedingly 

 hard and close grained, and is capable of taking an edge almost 

 as fine and sharp as iron or steel. The ancient bronze age 

 people made their weapons and implements by casting, in the 

 first place, and then, by hammering and grinding, they were 

 finished to form the things as we now find them. 



Many of the moulds have been found in Ireland in which 

 spears, hatchets, and other weapons were cast, and in some 

 places finds have been made of moulds, broken -up bronze, and 

 finished and partly finished implements, showing plainly that 

 such sites were the workshops of old artificers in bronze. 



In the Deramore collection there are nineteen flat bronze 

 celts, from 4 inches to 8 inches in length, varymg very 



