A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



The palstave latest found is also among the most interesting (fig. i6). 



'A bronze palstave was found in February, 1905, under gin. of soil about 



five miles to the north-west of Rochdale, at about 900 ft. above ordnance 

 datum, during the excavations of the Ashv^orth Moor 

 Reservoir, and is novvr in the possession of the Board in their 

 offices at Heywood near Manchester. The implement is 

 encrusted with various salts of copper and is of an olive- 

 green colour. It measures 5^ in. in length, with a maxi- 

 mum breadth of 2tV in. across the blade. There is a well- 

 marked stop 3 J in. from the anterior extremity of the blade. 

 The ridged wings are continued as moulding on the face of 

 the blade, but curved in a contrary direction so as to enclose 

 a space below the stop ridge, thus producing a semi-elliptical 

 ornamentation. The thickness of the metal at this point is 

 i in., whereas it is f in. above the stop ridge. The sides are 

 slightly concave and are roughly diamond shape, measuring 

 If in. across at their maxima. There is a slightly defined 

 transverse ridge 2I in. from the anterior extremity. The 

 joint of the two moulds in which it was cast can be traced 

 upon the sides of the instrument, and appears as if one of 

 the moulds had been somewhat deeper than the other. There 

 is no loop.' ^ 

 A further palstave, of simple type, with well-preserved edge, is said to 



have been found in excavating for a reservoir in 1884 at CantClough, which 



is 3 J miles north-east of Burnley. 



Bronze palstaves are reported also from Egbert Dean, Sharpies, and from 



Weeton in the Fylde, but descriptions are wanting. 



Fig. 16. — Bronze 



Palstave from 



AsHwoRTH Moor. 



3. Bronze Socketed Celts 



Five examples of socketed celts preserved in the museum at Warrington 

 well illustrate the varieties of this class of implement found within the county. 

 Four of them indeed come from the same site, Winmarleigh near Garstang, 

 in North Lancashire, where two finds, possibly from the same source, dis- 

 closed eight socketed celts with two spears and a dagger of bronze, which 

 constitute by far the most striking deposit of the age. These objects are all 

 preserved in the same museum : they are illustrated by photograph on Plate V., 

 and are described together in connexion with the spears in Section 4. The 

 first sketch, fig. 17, shows the simplest of these 

 celts, without rim or decoration. The imple- 

 ment is hollowed to receive the handle, and is 

 provided with a loop whereby to attach it to the 

 staff. It is 2^ in. in length, if in. across the 

 mouth, and if in. across the edge at its widest 

 point. This celt was found with the dagger and 

 two other celts at Winmarleigh, as described in 

 the next section. 



Fig. 17. — Plain Socketed Celt 

 FROM Winmarleigh. 2 ; 3. 



1 From MSS. of Mr. W. Baldwin, by courtesy of Mr. W. H. Sutdiffe. 



232 



