The team needed to act quickly because the force of the flooding would damage the timbers, and chemicals in the water could start their decay. This is the grooved rapier from Isleham, Cambridgeshire (Burgess & Gerloff 1981, Cat. (2009). Archaeological literature refers to these as 'dirks' and 'rapiers', but despite the inherent inferences these names make with regard to use, they should truly be regarded as swords, and the progenitors of the lineage which continued through the many ages of man which were to follow. It is uncertain whether they evolved first in Britain or Ireland, but the accident of survival / differential archaeological preservation makes it too difficult to be in any way dogmatic about the point of origin. Seen in the wider context of Great Britain and Ireland, the presence of a complete rapier in a funerary monument is not entirely unprecedented (see Turner – forthcoming). As well as being worked by hammering, bronze was melted and cast into moulds – indeed all bronze objects start out as castings. Findings from other cist burial sites in Scotland also show variation in their final contents: some contain no grave goods or cremated remains, while over half of those with cremated remains which were excavated in antiquity were backfilled with soil while others were only partially filled or not filled at all (Hunter 2000). The first phase is partly conjectural and based on observation of the site plans. As well as the rapier, found by the site director Douglas Gordon, three cremation burials and two urns were also identified. Again, any evidence which may have elucidated the circumstances of the rapier's deposition was destroyed by later disturbance. Barry Molloy. This would suggest that there was no fixed point or stage for the final use of a cist and that knowledge of their. Just as the colour of cremated remains can signify the temperatures reached during the burning process, variations in the colour of bone fragments can give an indication of uneven burning of the body. Of the remaining 36 lithics, two raw material types were present: flint (7 lithics, 20% – grey to translucent brown in colour) and chert (29 lithics, 80% – light to dark grey in colour, some pieces exhibiting banding or mottling). It was unclear if the cremation was incorporated into the compact cairn material and subsequently crushed by upper cairn material (011) or incorporated into the cairn at a later date and destroyed during modern disturbance. The Glasgow Archaeological Society was founded in 1856 to promote the study of archaeology with a special emphasis on western Scotland. (According to one experiment conducted by Dr Alison Sheridan (2010), it could take as long as 24 hours before the remains are cool enough to handle.) The Class 2 weapon has a simpler cross-section, typically with a slight central ridge marking its lozenge shaped cross-section. There are further archaeological sites in the vicinity; the majority are cairns but cairnfields and short cists have also been identified. This increased near the tip to seven, though the details of the transition were concealed by corrosion products. Infrequent inclusions of hazelnut shell were found within this lower cairn material. All potential struck lithics were cleaned, inspected and catalogued. The authors are particularly thankful to Thomas Rees and Louise Turner who gave much support and guidance during the writing and editing of this publication. Of the miscellaneous deposits, ageing indicators from bone fragments recovered from between the stones in Cist 1 suggest that they could either have belonged to the primary or secondary burials, both of which were assessed to be from adolescents, or could comprise fragments from each. A radiocarbon date of 3672 ± 27BP (cal BC 1992–1966 at 2 Sigma, SUERC- 71903 (GU43369)) was obtained from the cremated bone. (1992), as adapted to working practice through consideration of Ballin (2000). Its name is a "derisive" description of the Spanish term "ropera". All the material suggests a Bronze Age date which ties in with the radiocarbon dates recovered from the cists’ fills. The handle were simple, literally a handle. This suggested pre-cairn anthropic activity such as clearance or agriculture in the immediate environs of the site, with any such activity potentially occurring closer to Zone 3. They are most likely a natural phenomenon. The samples were submitted to the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC). This material had similar compaction and character to the re-deposited cairn material (009). This type of complexity and phasing with regards to earlier activities was also seen in the nearby, now-quarried Cairngryffe Hill ring-cairn, where internal rings of stone kerbs or postholes demarcated different areas beneath the cairn material (Lelong & Pollard 1998a). A cast bronze rapier with narrow lozenge-section blade, flanged grip and pierced discoid guard. Bronze Age Britain is an era of British history that spanned from c. 2500 until c. 800 BC. As the upper cairn material (011) and re-deposited cairn material (009) were removed, a curving line of large stones [012] measuring up to 780mm by 520mm in extent was revealed. In terms of metalwork, knife daggers are the most common find (ibid, 175). Layers (033) and (027), found in Zones 3 and 4 under and between some of the stones forming the outer kerb [012], were most likely the remains of the pre-cairn ground surface. One flint regular flake <10> recovered from topsoil was a convex end scraper. It is credible that this was deliberately interred within this cist, although the knife would have been broken at that time. The total weight of charcoal recovered was 26.6g. Excavations at Blackshouse Burn in the 1980s found a worn and abraded sherd of Beaker pottery (dated to 2600–1800 BC), thought to have been incorporated amongst midden material (Lelong & Pollard 1998b). It consisted of a mottled clay silt with frequent fragments of ash charcoal (Fraxinus sp.). The quartz pieces were predominantly recovered from processed soil samples (149 pieces) with the primary fill of Cist 2 dominating this assemblage (103 pieces), followed by the primary fills of Cist 1 (45 pieces). The first incarnations of these weapons created by the smiths of the early Later Bronze Age of Britain and Ireland were fine weapons of war. Cast cu-alloy rapier blade dating from the Middle Bronze Age, ca. On excavation, however, they proved to be resting on top of, or within, topsoil (001), suggesting that they were more likely to have be displaced when the mound was slighted. The initial construction of the two stone lined cists belongs to this first phase but the contents and two-tiered nature of Cist 1 and the fact that only fragments of cremated bone were found within Cist 2 would suggest that both had remains added or taken away. Though no grave goods were found within the cists a small number of lithics were identified during the processing of the soil samples taken from them. The portion of [014] that survived in Zone 3 was formed by large stones with additional flat stones leaning against the outside face of the kerb. The colour of burnt remains can indicate the temperature achieved during burning. Rapier / Dirk; Dirk or Rapier; Dirk or Dagger; Dagger; Rapier/dirk; Dirk or Dagger. Moulds of stone or clay would be encased in a thick layer of coarse clay to aid in heat retention so that the mould did not cool too quickly, as the thermal shock can cause internal flaws in the weapon, if not macro-damage in the form of fractures. In general, the evolution of blade weapons in the Bronze Age is from the dagger or knife in the Early Bronze Age to the earliest narrow bladed "rapier" swords optimized for thrusting from the Middle Bronze Age to the typical leaf-shape blades in the Late Bronze Age. The rapier sword was found locally near a site which had been inhabited for a period of at least 5,000 years, dating back from the Neolithic period to the present day. Jun 8, 2018 - Explore bevaej2306's board "bronzeage swords" on Pinterest. It is likely to belong to the Acton Park 2, Taunton (Cemmaes) or Pennard metalwork assemblage, corresponding to Needham’s (1997) Period 5, c. 1500-1150BC. The lines are sharply incised and roughly 0.5mm wide. The fifth and final phase relates to the modern destruction and removal of much of the upper cairn material (011). The Socketed Bronze Sickles of the British Isles; with special reference to an unpublished specimen from Norwich. When the stones forming outer kerb [012] were lifted, two different contexts were revealed. The surrounding area has abundant prehistoric archaeology (Fig 2), with three scheduled monuments located within 2km of the site: these include the enclosures at Blackhouse Burn (1) (Canmore ID 47640) and Meadowflatt (2) (Canmore ID: 47641); and the fort at Chester Hill (3) (Canmore ID: 47463). Excavation instead showed that the lower cairn material and the cists and features beneath remained untouched. A total of 19 fragments of charred hazelnut shell (0.4g) were recovered from context (021), which comprised the primary fill of Cist 2, and context (023), which comprised the cremation deposit in Cist 1. The Bronze Age rapier was recovered from a spread of redeposited cairn material (009). The interior was filled to a depth of 470mm by (021) a mid-orange-brown sandy silt with occasional flecks of birch charcoal (Betula sp.). The bones from Swaites Hill had probably therefore been cremated at temperatures of at least 645°C, and possibly higher. Terminology broadly follows the conventions of Wickham-Jones (1990) and Inizan et al. The hoard was found in chalk rubble, probably during the excavation of building foundations. The Society organises a programme of popular lectures held in the Boyd Orr Building, Glasgow University at 7.30 pm on the third Thursday of the month (October to April). Home / Sold / Artefacts - Sold / Neolithic & Bronze Age / Bronze Age Rapier. The underlying subsoil (numbered variously (002) surrounding the cairn, and (026) within the cairn), was a mid-orange, silty clay with frequent small to medium sized stones and occasional grey sandstone/red granite bedrock/fragments. Fig 7 Rapier of Burgess and Gerloff's Group 1 Type. Possible Rapier (Fragment) Dirk or Rapier; Dagger; Bronze Age Blade Tip; Dirk/Rapier; Rapier. The primary burial in Cist 1 was incomplete, as was the third, disturbed cremation from the cairn. Mays proposed that fragmentation and distortion are most likely to be the result of rapid water loss during the cremation process (1998, 207). Rapier with bronze handle from The identification of, and assessment of age from, the dental remains, is based on van Beek (1983). When these were the weapon of choice of the warriors whose lives depended on them, they were only likely to face another weapon of similar strength on the field of battle. See more ideas about Bronze age, Bronze, Ancient weapons. However, in contrast to this belief, the majority of the surviving pieces in regions that have been studied (Ireland and the River Thames) were clearly used in combat, and have the scars to prove it. This would explain why the cists were not located centrally within the overall cairn structure. Much of the hoard dates to the Middle Bronze Age, around 3,500 years ago. In the case of the latter, interpreted as disturbed, it is possible that some of the original deposit has been lost. On the paved floor [031] a discreet deposit of oak charcoal (Ouercus sp.) New here? The rapier measured 337mm in length and 18mm in maximum width. Of note was the infrequent but regular appearance of well-rounded (i.e. Colours of burnt bone can range from shades of red, brown, black, blue, grey, beige, or white. 17 of the sherds are decorated. These demonstrated a certain amount of complexity, with three cremation burials contained within the cists and another disturbed cremation burial with an associated cordoned urn identified beneath the cairn material. Given the amount of redeposited material (009) occurring around the cairn, at a rough guess the cairn may originally have stood at about 1m in height, although the removal of stone from the site may have reduced this considerably. The evaluation confirmed the suspected clearance cairns to be exactly that; their age could not, however, be ascertained. Once the burning process is completed and the remains have cooled, they then have to be collected from the pyre site before deposition in the place of burial. The bevel is decorated with a row of (probably) incised lines just below the lip and a row of slightly oblique whipped cord impressed lines in the opposite direction below. RAPIER (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC) SICKLE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC) Protected Status - none Sources and further reading---Article in Serial: Fox, C. 1939. Three other finds by metal detectorists … Both surfaces are sooted. As with Cist 1, further level stones were placed above and slightly overhanging, in this case only on the northern side. Around the cairn, and indeed in the general landscape, many large boulders were present. Bronze Age Knife £ 625.00. Two hand-excavated trenches were also placed within a probable ring-cairn (Canmore ID: 47645). Code: LA362. Re-deposited cairn material (009) partially overlay or abutted the edge of upper cairn material (011) and then spread out in all directions, extending 1–3m to the north, west and south and 3–7m to the east and southeast. The remains were subsequently weighed using scales accurate to 0.1 gram. The other two cremations, the primary burial from the cist and that from context [017] fell far short of a full cremation. Stone moulds for a Middle Bronze Age rapier (left) and a spearhead (right). As excavation proceeded it was possible to identify two main elements, a central upper layer of disturbed cairn material (011) around which was a layer of re-deposited cairn material (009) (see Modern Disturbance). Indeed dating evidence can be rather difficult with regard to the four classes as one of each class has been found in association with each of the other classes in the hoards of Britain. The earliest of the rapiers had a complex cross-section consisting of ribs and grooves, with clear ancestry in the dagger series which had begun in the Early Bronze Age. The Swaites Hill rapier adds a fifth example to the known corpus, forming an extension to the southwest concentration formed by the Dumfries and Galloway finds and a link with the two Perthshire finds to the north-east (see Turner, forthcoming, for a more detailed discussion of the Swaites Hill find in the wider context of rapier deposition). In 1907 James D G Dalrymple endowed the Society with bequest to support a lectureship on aspects of European archaeology. The profile of <29> shows that the rim has a deep interior bevel and that the exterior profile of the rim slopes out below the level of the bevel. Selected on quality and durability. A second urn and further cremated human bone deposits were found in the upper cairn material. Some, however, did not follow this pattern. Some seven pieces of debitage (<10mm) were recovered, all chunks from the primary fills of Cists 1 and 2. The cremation burials from Swaites Hill consisted of two cremations in Cist 1 (a primary and secondary), and a third disturbed cremation from the cairn. Archaeological investigations have demonstrated a Neolithic origin for the enclosure at Blackhouse Burn with later re-use in the Bronze Age. These included a chert flake within Cist 1 and a broken chert blade and flake within Cist 2. To join contact the Membership Secretary (Mrs Susan Hunter, 69 Craighill Drive, Glasgow, G76 7TD.). The fabric is fine clay with roughly 60% of well crushed angular fragments which has fired hard and is red with a grey core (Fig 8). Post by Polhigey » Mon Aug 19, 2019 5:32 pm Best Bronze age tool to date, did find a part Rapier blade not too far away and a … When investigated, the majority of these boulders exhibited no evidence for having been placed in settings or otherwise moved within the landscape. They travelled in long wooden boats rowed by oarsmen. Both pieces came from the topsoil. Register for a new account. The fabric is fine sandy clay with roughly 60% of angular rock fragments, some up to 13mm, which has fired hard and is grey with a brown exterior surface. The results are given in Table 3 and have been calibrated to calendar dates. Both individuals from Cist 1 were of similar adolescent age, although that from the secondary burial was probably slightly older. The ensuing development of the full tang swords during this period of change began to displace the rapiers, as they could be made more robustly and thus deliver more powerful blows than the rapier. Welcome to the forums! Comparable reuse of earlier monuments can be seen in the nearby large ritual enclosure at Blackshouse Burn, where Bronze Age cist burials with associated urns and cremated bone were reportedly recovered by 18th century stone robbers (Ferguson 1794). This was followed by an archaeological evaluation in April 2015 (Gordon 2015): this comprised an 8% evaluation of the ground and the targeted investigation of several probable clearance cairns. A date for this development sometime in the later 17th early 16th century BC appears most likely, but there is no clear dividing line between daggers, dirks and rapiers. By positioning the cairn slightly off the summit, views would have been partially obscured from the north, but it would have been visible from the south and southeast. The removal of topsoil revealed an exposed spread of stone which gave the appearance of a large sub-circular cairn measuring 22m in diameter (Fig 4). This disproportionate presence may suggest deliberate inclusion of quartz gravel in these contexts. I hope you … The exterior surface and the interior of the rim bevel are slipped and decorated. Its modern origins were inferred from the fact that its character differed markedly from the parent cairn material: the deposit was only moderately compacted, with no regular pattern of deposition evident amongst the stone component and residual lenses of topsoil (001) occurring on a regular basis. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. 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