Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T01:01:28.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Knobbed spearbutts of the British and Irish Iron Age: new examples and new thoughts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Andrew Heald
Andrew Heald*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, Scotland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

How can study of material objects be employed to develop archaeological explanation? Recent finds suggest that past views on the date and distribution of doorknob spearbutts need to be revised with consequent effects on the interpretation of their cultural significance.

Keywords

doorknob spearbuttsBritish-Irish linkslate Iron Age/Early Historicmetalworking
Type
News & Notes
Information
Antiquity , Volume 75 , Issue 290 , December 2001 , pp. 689 - 696
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alcock, L. 1963. Dinas Powys, an Iron Age, Dark Age and Medieval settlement in Glamorgan. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.Google Scholar
Armit, I. 1992. The Later Prehistory of the Western Isles of Scotland. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports. British series 221.Google Scholar
Armit, I. 1996. The archaeology of Skye and the Western Isles. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
Bateson, J.D. 1973. Roman material from Ireland: A re-consideration, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 73: 21–97.Google Scholar
Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.. 1993. Roman military equipment. London: Batsford.Google Scholar
Bourke, C. & Crone, D.. 1993. Antiquities from the River Black-water II. Iron Age Metalwork, Ulster J Archaeol, 56: 109–13.Google Scholar
Burley, E. 1956. A catalogue and survey of metal-work from Traprain Law, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 89: 118–227.Google Scholar
Callander, J.G. 1927. An Early Iron Age Hoard from Crichie, Aberdeen, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 61: 243–6.Google Scholar
Campbell, E. 1998. Metalworking debris, in Sharples, N. (ed.), Scalloway: A Broch, Late Iron Age Settlement and Medieval Cemetery in Shetland: 160–4. Oxford: Oxbow. Monograph 82.Google Scholar
Clarke, R.R. 1952. An Ogham inscribed knife-handle from southwest Norfolk, Antiquaries Journal 32: 71–4.Google Scholar
Close-Brooks, J. 1987. The clay moulds, in Hedges, J.W. (ed.): 303–6.Google Scholar
Dark, K. 2000. Britain and the end of the Roman Empire. Stroud: Tempus.Google Scholar
Dawson, M. 1995. Sandy, in Brown, A.E. (ed.) Roman small towns in eastern England and beyond: 167–76. Oxford: Oxbow. Monograph 52.Google Scholar
Dawson, M. & Maull, A.. 1996. Warren Villas Quarry, Upper Caldecote: Interim Report on excavations from 1989–1994, Bedfordshire Archaeology 22: 58–66.Google Scholar
Dolley, R.H.M. 1976. Roman coins from Ireland and the date of St Patrick, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 76: 181–90.Google Scholar
Forsyth, K.S. 1996. The Ogham inscriptions of Scotland: an edited corpus. Unpublished Ph.D thesis, Harvard University.Google Scholar
Foster, S.M. 1990. Pins, combs and the chronology of Later Atlantic Iron Age Settlement, in Armit, I. (ed.). Beyond the brochs: changing perspectives on the Atlantic Scottish Iron Age: 143–74. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
Frere, S.S. 1991. Britannia: a history of Roman Britain. (3rd edition.) London: Pimlico.Google Scholar
Fulford, M. & Clarke, A.. 1999. Silchester and the end of Roman towns, Current Archaeoogy 161 (14, 5): 176–80.Google Scholar
Fulford, M., Handley, M. & Clarke, A.. 2000. An early date for Ogham: The Silchester Ogham Stone Rehabilitated, Medieval Archaeoogy 44(1): 23.Google Scholar
Gilmour, S.M.D. 2000. First millennia settlement development in the Atlantic West, in Henderson (ed.): 155–70.Google Scholar
Graham, T.B. & Jope, E.M.. 1950. A bronze brooch and ibex-headed pin from the Sandhills at Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal, Ulster Journal of Archaeology 13: 54–6.Google Scholar
Grierson, P. 1959. Commerce in the Dark ages: a critique of the evidence, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 9: 123–40.Google Scholar
Harding, D. W. & Gilmour, S.. 2000. The Iron Age settlement at Beirgh. Riof, Isle of Lewis: Excavations, 1985–95 1. The Structures and Stratigraphy. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. Calanais Research Series 1.Google Scholar
Hedges, J. W. 1987. Bu, Gurness and the Brochs of Orkney: Gurness. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports. British series 164.Google Scholar
Henderson, J.C. 2000 The prehistory and early history of Atlantic Europe. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports. International series 861.Google Scholar
Hunter, F. 1994. An unpublished Irish doorknob spearbutt, Ulster Journal of Archaeology 57: 185–6.Google Scholar
Hunter, F. Forthcoming. The shale objects, in Ewart, G. (ed.), Excavations at Dundonald.Google Scholar
Jackson, K.H. 1955. The Pictish language, in Wainwright, F.T. (ed.), The problem of the Picts: 129–66. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson.Google Scholar
Jackson, K.H. 1983. Ogam stones and early Christian Latin inscriptions, in Thomson, D.S. (ed.), The companion to Gaelic Scotland: 220–21. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Jope, E.M. & Wilson, B.C.S.. 1957. A burial group of the 1st century AD from ‘Loughey’ near Donaghadee, Ulster Journal of Archaeology 20: 73–94.Google Scholar
Kilbride-Jones, H.E. 1980. Celtic craftsmanship in bronze. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Laing, L. 1975. People and pins in Dark Age Scotland, Transactions of the Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society 50: 53–71.Google Scholar
Laing, L. 1985. The Romanization of Ireland in the 5th century, Peritia 4: 261–78.Google Scholar
Laing, L. 1993. A catalogue of Celtic ornamental metalwork in the British Isles, c. AD 400–1200. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports. British series 229.Google Scholar
Laing, L. & Laing, J.. 1986. Scottish and Irish metalwork and the ‘conspiratio barbarica’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 116: 211–21.Google Scholar
Lane, A. 1987. English migrants in the Hebrides: ‘Atlantic Second B’ revisited, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 117: 47–66.Google Scholar
Livens, R.G. 1976. A Don Terret from Anglesey, with a discussion of the type, in Boon, G.C. & Lewis, J.M. (ed.), Welsh Antiquity: 149–62. Cardiff: Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru.Google Scholar
Lynn, C.J. 1983. Some ‘early’ ring-forts and crannogs, Journal of Irish Archaeology 1: 47–58.Google Scholar
Macgregor, M. 1976. Early Celtic art in North Britain: A study of decorative metalwork from the third century BC to the third century AD. Leicester: Leicester University Press.Google Scholar
Mackle, E.W. 1974. Dun Mor Vaul: an Iron Age broch on Tiree. Glasgow. University of Glasgow Press.Google Scholar
Mallory, J. P. 1992. Aspects of the Tain. Belfast: December Publications.Google Scholar
Megaw, R. & Megaw, V.. 1994. Celtic art: From its beginnings to the Book ofKells. London: Thames & Hudson.Google Scholar
Miller, M. 1981 Hiberni reversuri, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 110: 305–27.Google Scholar
Millett, M. 1990. The Romanization of Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
O’Sullivan, A. 1998. The archaeology of lake settlement in Ireland. Dublin: Discovery Programme. Monograph 4.Google Scholar
Padel, O. 1972. Inscriptions of Pictland. Unpublished thesis, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Piggott, S. 1950. Swords and scabbards of the British Early Iron Age, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 16:1–28.Google Scholar
Raftery, B. 1982. Knobbed spearbutts of the Irish Iron Age, in Scott, B.G. (ed.), Studies on Early Ireland: Essays in honour of M.V. Duignan: 75–92. Belfast: Association of Young Irish Archaeologists.Google Scholar
Raftery, B. 1984. La Téne in Ireland: problems of origin and chronology. Marburg: Veröffentlichung des Vorgeschichtlichen Seminars Marburg. Sonderband 1.Google Scholar
Raftery, B. 1995 Pre- and Protohistoric Ireland: problems of continuity and change, Emania 13: 5–9.Google Scholar
Raftery, B. 1998. Knobbed spearbutts revisited, in Ryan, M. (ed.), Irish Antiquities: Essays in honour of Joseph Raftery: 97–110. Bray: Wordwell.Google Scholar
Raftery, B. Forthcoming. Ireland and Scotland in the Iron Age, Celtic Congress Paper.Google Scholar
Raftery, J. 1940. New Early Iron Age finds from Kerry, Journal of the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society 45: 55–6.Google Scholar
Ralston, I. & Inglis, J. 1984. Foul hordes: the Picts in the North-East and their background. Aberdeen: Anthropological Museum, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Ramsey, G., Bourke, C. & Crone, D.. 1992. Antiquities from the Sillees River, Ulster fournal of Archaeology 54–55: 150–53.Google Scholar
Richmond, L.A. 1958. Roman and native in the fourth century AD and after, in Richmond, LA. (ed.), Romon and native in North Britain: 112–13. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson.Google Scholar
Robertson, A. 1970. Roman finds from non-Roman sites in Scotland, Britannia 1: 198–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, M. 1973. Native pottery in Early Historic Ireland, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 73C: 619–45.Google Scholar
Ryan, M. 1998. The Insular Celts 3rd century BC-2nd century AD, in Hada, K. (ed.), Treasures of Celtic art: a European heritage: 40–41. Toyko.Google Scholar
Smith, A. 2000. Material culture and North Sea contacts in the 5th to 7th centuries AU, in Henderson (2000): 181–8.Google Scholar
Smith, R. 1905. The evolution of lute-Keltic pins of the Hand type, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London (2nd series) 20: 344–54.Google Scholar
Smith, R. 1913. The evolution of the hand-pin in Great Britain and Ireland, Opuscula Archaeologica Oscari Montelio dicat: 281–9.Google Scholar
Stevenson, R.B.K. 1955. Pins and the chronology of brochs, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 21: 282–94.Google Scholar
Swift, C. 1997. Ogam stones and the earliest Irish Christians. Maynooth: St Patrick’s College, Department of Old and Middle Irish.Google Scholar
Thomas, G. 1963. The interpretation of the Pictish symbols, Archaeological journal 120: 31–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, G. 1972. The Iron Age in the Irish Sea Province. London: Council for British Archaeology. Research report 9.Google Scholar
Turner, V. 1994. The Mail stone: art incised Pictish figure from Mail, Cunningsburgh, Shetland, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 124: 315–25.Google Scholar
Wakeman, W.F. 1884. Trouvaille of the Bronze and Iron Age from Crannog at Lisnacroghera, Co. Antrim, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 16: 375–408.Google Scholar
Wakeman, W.F. 1889. On the crannog and Antiquities of Lisnacroghera, near Broughshane, Co. Antrim (Second Notice), Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 19: 96–106.Google Scholar
Wakeman, W.F. 1891a. On the crannog and Antiquities of Lisnacroghera, near Broughshane, Co. Antrim, 3rd notice, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 21: 542–5.Google Scholar
Wakeman, W.F. 1891b. On the crannog and Antiquities of Lisnacroghera, near Broughshane, Co. Antrim, 4th notice, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 21: 673–75.Google Scholar
Warner, R. 1976. Some observations on the context and importation of exotic material in Ireland, from the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 76: 267–92.Google Scholar
Warner, R. 1983. Ireland, Ulster and Scotland in the Earlier Iron Age, in O’Connor, A. & Clarke, D.V. (ed.), From the Stone Age to the ‘Forty-Five: 160–88. Edinburgh: John Donald.Google Scholar
Winterbottom, M. 1978. Gildas: the ruin of Britain and other works. London: Phillimore.Google Scholar
Youngs, S. 1989. Fine metalwork to e. AD B50, in Youngs, S. (ed.), The work of angels: 20–64. London: British Museum Publications.Google Scholar