Co Sligo: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum
The British Museum
holds just eight items identified as coming from Co Sligo, but what a collection they are! The majority of these are
assigned to either the Early Bronze Age (?) or the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze
Age (2 each). The most common object types represented are flat axes and
lunulae (2 each). Only two material types are represented in this assemblage: Metal
(7) and Stone (1).
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age: Metal items
Sligo (near)
lunula
18490301.220
Gold lunula. Flat sheet
crescent of beaten gold with semi-circular terminals rotated relative to the
crescent. It is decorated with an incised geometric pattern. The decoration
consists of two or three parallel lines and an accompanying row of triangles
parallel to the inner and outer edges. At the centre of each horn is a sequence
of six diamond shaped motifs.
Sligo (near)
lunula
18490301.210
Gold lunula. Flat sheet
crescent of beaten gold with spatulate terminals rotated relative to the
crescent. It is decorated with an incised geometric pattern. The centre of the
horns is decorated with a narrow central space together with opposite
triangles, parallel horizontal lines and void spaces. Four horizontal lines
decorated with a series of vertical lines and triangles separate the horns from
the rest of the body. The body’s inner and outer edges are decorated with a
series of horizontal lines, triangles and oblique lines. The surface of the
lunula is highly crinkled rather than smooth, perhaps indicating that it has
been folded or rolled in the past.
Neolithic (?)/Bronze Age (?)/Iron Age (?): Stone item
Rosses Point rock
shelter
flake
19271112.160
Stone flake large.
Bronze Age: Metal item
Kilrea
rapier
WG.1235
Copper alloy rapier.
Early Bronze Age (?): Metal items
Glencar
flat axe
19440702.100
Copper alloy flat axe;
cast, with thin, rounded butt. Decorated on each face with curved transverse
ridges and furrows, the ridges engraved with zig-zags and dots.
Glencar
flat axe
19440702.200
Copper alloy flat axe;
cast, with thin, rounded butt. Decorated on each face with curved transverse
ridges and furrows, the ridges engraved with zig-zags and dots.
 |
| Flat axes 19440702.1 & 19440702.2 |
 |
| Flat axes 19440702.1 & 19440702.2 |
Middle Bronze Age: Metal item
Glencar
palstave
19641201.840
Copper alloy palstave
axe. Perforations through septum
Middle Bronze Age (?)/Iron Age (?): Metal item
Bog of Curry
torc
19260408.100
Gold alloy ribbon torc
in two pieces.
1400BC-1100BC/300BC-100BC
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