Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/392

282 marked, and a central raised rib runs along the entire length of the arrow.

This attempt to obviate the splitting of the shaft not being found to answer well, a stop-ridge appears to have been introduced, and this peculiar feature would constitute the third class (Fig. 4). This stop-ridge, in the example represented, is a small triangular projection in the blade, at the springing of the barbs, and directly in a line with the tongue of the arrow. Against this the shaft would be pressed, and by this contrivance the subsequent splitting of the shaft would be rendered difficult, if not impossible. This arrow head has a deep groove cut on each alternate side of the blade; what this was for, unless it might be intended to receive poison, it is difficult to say.

The contrivance of a stop-ridge, in the formation of arrow heads, may probably have been coeval with the introduction of the stop-ridge in celts of the second class, as proposed in the memoir before cited; and that this feature is observable in both weapons is certainly curious.

We next come to the fully developed socketted arrow head, forming the fourth class (Figs. 5, 6, 7). These, at first, were very rude, the socket being, as it would appear, uselessly long, as in Figs. 5 and 6; but these defects were no doubt soon obviated; and in Fig. 7 we have a good example of the fully developed, highly wrought, and gracefully formed bronze arrow head.

The fifth class is well represented by that beautiful arrow head (Fig. 8) which, in connection with a socket to receive the shaft, is provided with a single loop at each side, on a line with the blade. The probable use of these loops was to assist in fastening the head to the shaft by tying. When weapons of this type are found of many inches in length and sometimes more than a foot, they would appear to be javelins or hand arrows; and it has been suggested, that these side loops were to receive the end of a string which was coiled loosely in the hands of the thrower; and thus, when the javelin struck the object aimed at, it would