Two Irish Bronze-Age Finds containing rings

Extract

Both finds belong to the latest portion of the Irish Bronze Age, Montelius's fifth period (1150-800 B.C.). The first was recently acquired by the Royal Irish Academy. The circumstances of its discovery are obscure; no more definite information being obtainable than that the objects were dug up near an old ruined castle in co. Westmeath about the month of January, 1922. It includes a bronze socketed celt, and twenty-four complete and one imperfect cast bronze rings. The objects are well covered with an agreeable grey-green patina, with the exception of one ring which was scraped clean, presumably to see of what metal it was composed. The looped axe-head is of characteristic Irish type with oval mouth and broad cutting edge. A little below the mouth it is ornamented with a raised band, the mouth being similarly encircled. The largest ring, which has an external diameter of 4.3 inches, is hollow; the remainder have been cast solid. The illustration (pi. XIII) will dispense with a detailed description of the various rings.