Part 2 (1/2)

TYPES

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 9.--Halberd blades.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10.--Halberd 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 from about 3 to 4 inches in breadth at the widest part; with few exceptions they have three rivets with large heads. The various sizes are well represented in a find of seven of these blades obtained in 1888 when making the railway near Hollywood, County Galway. They were described as having been found about 2-1/2 feet under the surface of a shallow bog ”stuck in a bunch in the ground, with points down. No other relics appeared near them.” We do not think it is any use attempting to place the halberds in a series of development; and no progression can be claimed for their forms other than that there appears to be a movement of development from the smaller straight blades to the larger and curved blades. In one or two cases the mid rib has been brought to a slight roof-ridge; and a fine example in the late Sir John Evans' collection shows a well-marked bead down the mid rib (”Bronze Implements,” fig. 331); but in most cases the mid rib is quite plain with a rounded curve in section.

a.n.a.lYSES

a.n.a.lyses of the halberd blades show that the metal of which they are composed does not differ much from that of the copper celts. A recent a.n.a.lysis of five specimens is appended which shows that the blades are practically of pure copper. This is interesting, as it removes the doubt expressed by Sir John Evans in ”Bronze Implements,” p. 265, that ”many of these blades have the appearance of being made of copper; but the absence of tin in their composition has not been proved.”

+-+----------+-------+----+---------+--------+-----+-------+-----+-------+

Bis.m.u.th

Copper.

Tin.

Antimony.

a.r.s.enic.

Lead.

Silver.

Iron.

Nickel

Zinc.

+-+----------+-------+----+---------+--------+-----+-------+-----+-------+

1

King's Co.

Day Coll.,

No. 25,

99.02

0.22

Nil

Nil

0.19

0.26

0.04

Nil

2

Antrim,

1903, 235,

No. 9,

97.31

0.31

0.14

0.18

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

3

Galway,

W. 241,

No. 19,

98.06

0.22

Nil

Nil

0.58

Nil

0.17

Nil

4

Cork,

R. 459,

No. 7,

98.30

0.30

0.27