Co Tyrone: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum

The British Museum holds 57 items identified as coming from Co Tyrone, along with one each identified as from either Tyrone/Fermanagh and Tyrone/Derry~Londonderry. The majority of these (17) are assigned to the Neolithic/Bronze Age. The most common object type represented are axes (16). The two main material types represented in this assemblage are Metal (34) and Stone (22).


Neolithic/Bronze Age: Stone items
Tyrone
macehead
20050501.290
Stone macehead, partly perforated on both faces, round and disk-like shape, smooth surface, brown in colour.

Tyrone
axe
18431226.157
Polished stone axe, small.

Cookstown, bog (near)
axe
18431226.155
Polished stone axe.

Cullion
axe
18431226.120
Polished stone axe.

Cookstown
axe
18431226.700
Polished stone axe.

Terman
axe
18431226.204
Polished stone axe, small.

Pomeroy (near)
axe
18431226.154
Polished stone axe.

Cookstown
hammer
18431226.156
Two polished stone hammer fragments.

Lissan
axe
18431226.153
Two polished stone axe fragments.

Cullion
axe
18431226.142
Polished stone axe.

Cullion
axe
18431226.117
Polished stone axe butt.

Cullion
axe
18431226.980
Polished stone axe.

Simen
axe
18431226.660
Polished stone axe, small.

Cookstown
flake
18431226.470
Flint flake.

Craighbally
axe
18431226.190
Polished stone axe.

Balleygawley, south of
axe
18431226.150
Polished stone axe, large.

Ballynascreen
axe-hammer
20050501.400
Perforated stone axe-hammer with rounded butt, two shallow grooves running along edge of each face, and five shallow grooves running horizontally along each side.


Neolithic (?)/Bronze Age (?)/Iron Age (?): Amber item
Balleygawley
button
18431226.490
Amber button.


Neolithic (?)/Bronze Age (?)/Iron Age (?): Stone items
Clogher
whetstone
18531123.600
Stone whetstone, perforated.

Castlederg
cup
Sturge.2296
Stone cup, globular; small indentation on bottom as well as larger one on top; no apparent damage; stone of medium grit and worn relatively smooth; mottled brown colour.

Doortans Farm
hammerstone
+.6219
Stone hammerstone.


Bronze Age: Metal items
Tyrone
chape
WG.1612
Copper alloy winged chape.

Ballygawley
sickle
18431226.500
Copper alloy socketed sickle.

Ballygawley
axe
18431226.600
Copper alloy short-flanged axe; cast.

Cookstown (near)
axe
18431226.800
Copper alloy short-flanged axe; cast.

Trillick (near)
axe
18800802.710
Copper alloy winged axe; cast.

Aughnacloy
ornament
18431226.400
Copper alloy ornament.

Arboe
spear-head
WG.1621
Copper alloy socketed spearhead, side-looped.

Arboe
spear-head
WG.1626
Copper alloy socketed spearhead, side-looped. Small.

Ballynascreen
dagger
WG.1607
Copper alloy dagger.


Early Bronze Age: Metal items
Cloghfinbar Mt (near)
flat axe
18431226.900
Copper-alloy flat axe; with a thin, rounded butt. Sides splay gently from the butt to form a narrow, rounded cutting-edge.

Fivemiletown (near)
flat axe
18431226.200
Copper alloy flat axe; with a thin, narrow, rounded butt. Sides are roughly parallel to each other in upper half, then swing out gently in lower half to form a rounded cutting-edge.

Ballygawley
halberd
WG.1596
Copper alloy halberd, asymmetrical blade with rounded hafting plate and straight, rounded midrib. Three thick round-headed rivets in situ.


Early Bronze Age: Pottery item
Plumbridge
accessory cup
18850712.130
Accessory vessel; pottery; plain; one set of perforations mid body.
2200BC-1600BC (circa)


Middle Bronze Age: Metal items
Tyrone
palstave
18431226.120
Copper alloy palstave.

Termen (between Ballygawley and Termen)
spear-head
18431226.110
Copper alloy socketed spearhead, side-looped.


Middle Bronze Age/Late Bronze Age: Metal item
Arboe
ring
WG.19
Gold penannular composite ring. The ring was made by stacking six short and narrow lengths of circular sectioned wire, one on top of the other, to produce a ribbed ring.
1300BC-750BC (circa)


Late Bronze Age: Metal items
Omagh (near)
socketed axe
18431226.140
Copper alloy socketed axe; cast. Oval mouth, uneven with bevelled rim.

Killetter
socketed axe
WG.1564
Copper alloy socketed axe; cast. Oval mouth with rounded rim. Moulding is set close to rim and loop is set at its base.

Arboe
socketed axe
WG.1557
Copper alloy socketed axe, cast. Round mouth with bevelled rim which forms the upper example of ten ridges that surround the neck.

Beragh
socketed axe
WG.1573
Copper alloy socketed axe; cast. Oval mouth with uneven bevelled rim. Body cross-section may be fairly octagonal but this is unclear.

Strabane, [S] Altamullan
sword
WG.1229
Copper alloy sword. There are three rivet-holes in the tang. The butt has four rivet-holes and depressions for two more. The blade is oval in cross-Section and has a ridge parallel to the edges. Its surface is smooth.

Carnteel
sword
WG.1228
Copper alloy sword. The upper half of the tang may have been cast on. It has two large rivet-holes. There are two rivet-holes in the butt and depressions for two more.

Cookstown
sword
WG.1234
Copper alloy sword. The tang tapers slightly from the butt to the terminal. There is one rivet-hole in the tang and a depression for another.

Arboe
pin
WG.1592
Copper alloy bowl headed pin.


Iron Age: Glass item
Donnemara
bead
18900215.110
Glass bead. Annular blue glass bead deorated with white spirals or 'eye' motifs.
300 BC - AD 100 (circa)


Iron Age: Metal items
Clogher
brooch
18540307.200
Copper alloy brooch. Fine casting, reatins original golden colour. Curved bow, sub-oval in section, decorated with raised, elongated trumpet-ended curves.
50 BC - AD 50 (circa)

Cookstown (near)
bowl
18850622.100
Copper alloy bowl, hammered from a single sheet of metal. Hemispherical with regular, rounded shoulder and concave neck.
300 BC - AD 300 (circa)


Early Medieval: Metal items
Tyrone
pin
18531117.900
Leaded gun metal pin with polyhedral head and knop, the head with punched dots; point missing.
9thC-11thC

Tyrone
hand-pin
18531117.100
Leaded bronze hand-pin with five "fingers" on semi-circular head, originally enamelled; grooved edge, remains of lug on back.
6thC-8thC

Clogher
ringed pin
18531117.700
Copper alloy kidney-ringed pin with worn polyhedral head and ring now separate with border of circles and three transverse bands.
11thC-12thC

Trillick
hand-pin
18800802.133
Bronze hand-pin decorated with scroll decoration, the field probably originally inlaid with enamel.
6thC-7thC

Fintona (?)
bell
19451102.100
Copper alloy bell, truncated pyramidal; rounded top with two holes under large loop; separate pierced spherical clapper.
8thC-9thC


Early Medieval: Stone item
Shanmaghry Mountain (Shaumaghery Mountain in register.)
spindle-whorl
18431226.500
Stone spindle-whorl, discoid, central perforation, bevelled.
5thC-11thC (?)


Early Medieval (?): Stone item
Lungs (?)
spindle-whorl
OA.5812
Sandstone, discoidal spindle-whorl; central perforation; white label attached reads 'St 151 p'.
http://britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=86705&partId=1


Viking; Early Medieval: Metal item
Omagh (near)
penannular brooch; bossed penannular brooch
18900215.130
Silver bossed penannular brooch, plain hoop, expanded terminals with bosses in collars and ribbon and animal interlace.
9thC-10thC


Unknown: Metal item
Tyrone
forgery (?); crucifix
18680709.530
Crucifix figure; bronze(fake?); Christ wears crude crown and frilled loin-cloth; stylised rib-cage; cast with hollow back.


The following item is listed in the museum catalogue as coming from either Tyrone or Fermanagh:
Early Bronze Age: Metal item
Ederny (?)/Fivemiletown (?)
flat axe
18431226.300
Copper alloy flat axe; with a thin, narrow, rounded butt. Sides are roughly parallel to each other in upper half, then swing out gently in lower half to form a rounded cutting-edge, which has a notch missing.


The following item is listed in the museum catalogue as coming from either Tyrone or Derry~Londonderry:
Early Medieval: Metal item
Ornehes (?) Londonderry/Tyrone
pseudo-penannular brooch
18680709.220
Copper alloy pseudo-penannular brooch; hoop of plano-convex section; linked terminals with dots; pin-head hooked for attachment.
8thC-9thC


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