Page:VCH Bedfordshire 1.djvu/210

 A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE makers, owing to their being thrown and shot about in all directions. They are often found as isolated examples long distances from camps. The larger examples are termed spear-, lance- or javelin-heads; three are illustrated in fig. 54 ; those marked a and b are from Maiden Bower, Dunstable ; c is from Waulud's Bank, Luton. It is probable that all the recognized forms of arrow-head occur in Bedfordshire. In fig. 55 four tanged examples are illustrated from Leagrave and Dunstable Downs. Two sub-triangular specimens are shown in fig. 56 ; a is from Cad- dington, b from Leagrave, Luton. Three examples of the leaf-shaped class are illustrated in fig. 57, all from Maiden Bower, Dunstable. A bracer or wrist-guard of stone, made for the protection of the arm of the bowman against the blow of the string in shooting, has been found at Sandy, and is now in the collection of Sir John Evans. Fabricators and flaking tools are the last to be mentioned. They may have been used as punches, flakers or rubbers, and in some instances perhaps as strike-lights. Whatever these tools may have been designed for they are common in Bedfordshire, especially in camps. Sometimes they are very long, at other times shorter ; some- times the ends are comparatively sharp, at other times they are very blunt and abraded. Three examples are illustrated in fig. 58 ; the first is from Maiden Bower, Dunstable, with ends very much abraded as if from constant striking on a pebble or block of iron pyrites for the production of fire ; the next is from Dunstable Downs, and is comparatively sharp although attenuated. Other much more elongated examples occur. The third is from Mount Pleasant, Kensworth, and is unusually stumpy in form, but undoubtedly of the flaking or fabricating class. 166