Ulster, Ireland and Scotland in the Iron Age

R B Warner

Ireland, Ulster and Scotland in the earlier Iron Age.

in A O'Connor «& D V Clarke (eds), From the Stone Age to the 'Forty-Five'

(Studies presented t o R B K Stevenson).

(Edinburgh: John Donald Ltd), 1983,160-187.

1 1 IRELAND, U L S T E R AND SCOTLAND IN T H E E A R L I E R

IRON AGE

R B Warner

I I R E L A N D ( e s p e c i a l l y t h e n o r t h - e a s t ) T h e I r i s h E a r l i e r I r o n - a g e , w h i c h I s h a l l d a t e w i t h o u t c o m m e n t b e t w e e n t h e 3 r d c e n t u r y B C a n d t h e 4 t h c e n t u r y A D , i s d i s t i n g u i s h e d b y b o t h a l a r g e q u a n t i t y o f b r o n z e w o r k a n d a n a l m o s t c o m p l e t e i g n o r a n c e o f i t s c u l t u r a l c o n t e x t . I n c r e d i b l e t h o u g h t h i s m a y s e e m i t i s p a r t l y t h e r e s u l t o f t h e v e r y h i g h p r o p o r t i o n o f u n p r o v e n a n c e d m a t e r i a l i n o u r m u s e u m s , a n d t h e u n i n f o r m a t i v e n a t u r e o f m a n y o f t h e k n o w n p r o v e n a n c e s , a n d p a r t l y t h e r e s u l t o f o u r f a i l u r e t o d i s c o v e r , o r r e c o g n i s e , t h e d w e l l i n g s a n d b u r i a l s o f t h e u s e r s o f t h e m a t e r i a l w e p o s s e s s i n s u c h q u a n t i t y . E x c a v a t i o n s a t t w o l a r g e ' h e n g i f o r m ' m o n u m e n t s w i t h a l i t e r a r y , m y t h o l o g i c a l a n d r i t u a l b a c k g r o u n d u s u a l l y t a k e n t o b e o f e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e d a t e ( J a c k s o n 1 9 6 4 ) h a v e p r o d u c e d a c e r t a i n a m o u n t o f i n f o r m a t i o n ( D u n A i l i n n e — W a i l e s 1 9 7 6 ; N a v a n — W a t e r m a n f o r t h c o m i n g ) , as h a s a h a b i t a t i o n l a y e r under a R i n g - f o r t i n C o . G a l w a y ( T u r o e — R a f t e r y 1 9 4 4 ; J o p e 1 9 5 8 , 8 0 ) , b u t t h e p r o p e r e x p l o r a t i o n o f a n o r m a l e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e h a b i t a t i o n s i t e w i l l h a v e t o a w a i t t h e d i s c o v e r y o f t h a t s i t e . T h e b e s t s i n g l e ' a s s o c i a t e d ' c o l l e c t i o n o f o b j e c t s , t h e L i s n a c r o g h e r , C o . A n t r i m , find, s e e m s t o h a v e c o m e f r o m , o r f r o m t h e s i t e o f , a c r a n n o g ( W a k e m a n 1 8 8 4 ; M u n r o 1 8 9 0 , 3 7 9 - 8 6 ) , w h i l e i n t h e s a m e c o u n t y a n o t h e r c r a n n o g ' p r o d u c e d ' a s o c k e t e d i r o n a x e ( M u n r o 1 8 9 0 , 3 8 7 ) . A t L o u g h G a r a o n e o f t h e c r a n n o g s c o n t a i n e d a s t r a t i f i e d a s s o c i a t i o n o f v e r y l a t e B r o n z e - a g e m a t e r i a l w i t h i r o n o b j e c t s ( R a f t e r y 1 9 7 2 , 3 ) , t h o u g h n o t o b j e c t s r e a d i l y a s c r i b a b l e t o t h e I r i s h e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e . W e w o u l d t h e r e f o r e e x p e c t — a n d c o m p a r i s o n w i t h t h e s o p h i s t i c a t e d R o m a n I r o n - a g e c r a n n o g s o f s o u t h - w e s t S c o t l a n d w o u l d s e e m t o g i v e u s s o m e s u p p o r t — t h a t c r a n n o g s w o u l d p r o v i d e c o n t e x t s f o r o u r m a t e r i a l . U n f o r t u n a t e l y a l l a d e q u a t e l y r e c o r d e d c r a n n o g e x c a v a t i o n s i n I r e l a n d h a v e s i g n a l l y f a i l e d t o p r o d u c e d e m o n s t r a b l y e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e m a t e r i a l , a n o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t m i g h t l e a d u s t o s u s p e c t t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s o f L i s n a c r o g h e r a n d L o u g h M o u r n e , b o t h o f w h i c h i n a n y case p r o d u c e d m a t e r i a l o f l a t e r I r o n - a g e ( E a r l y C h r i s t i a n ) d a t e . H i l l - f o r t s h a v e p r o v e d e q u a l l y f r u s t r a t i n g ( R a f t e r y 1 9 7 6 , 3 5 0 - 7 ) , r e c e n t e x c a v a t i o n s i n s u c h s i t e s b y B R a f t e r y a n d b y t h e w r i t e r a i m e d a t u n c o v e r i n g e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e e v i d e n c e f a i l i n g i n t h a t p u r p o s e b u t p r o v i d i n g a w e a l t h o f i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e l a t e r B r o n z e - a g e a n d t h e P a t r i c i a n p e r i o d . I t i s a t p r e s e n t , t h e r e f o r e , u n r e a l i s t i c i n a d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e I r i s h e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e t o e x t e n d c o n s i d e r a t i o n b e y o n d t h e p r o d u c t s o f m e t a l - w o r k e r s a n d

I r e l a n d , Ulster and Scotland i n the E a r l i e r I r o n Age 1 6 1

workshops and to hope to apply conclusions drawn therefrom to the rest of the population or its 'culture' in the proper sense of that term.

The metalwork can, mainly on the basis of the work of E M Jope, be seen to have derived from, or been affected by, a number of sources in Britain and beyond of which two stand out. On the strength of these two major influences, and the resultant styles of object and art, I have provisionally suggested two groupings (Warner 1976) which (until the definitive publications of the insular art by Jope, and of the Irish metalwork by B Raftery) might prove useful. The first, which 1 call earlier Iron-age 1 ( E I A 1) draws the most distinctive parts of its assemblage, including the bronze sword-scabbards and the art upon them, directly from the central European middle La-Tene (Jope 1954a; Jope 1958). The 'Irish sword-style' is a symmetrical, mainly S-figure based, engraved art in which the artistic imagination is reserved for the filling and adornment of the rather staid basic pattern. It is cognate with, therefore extremely similar to, the incised component of the British style IV ('Witham-Torrs-Wandsworth') art, but unlike it has lost the freedom of their common ancestor and has not yet been found sharing a surface with three-dimensional ornament. Nevertheless three-dimensional art, both cast and repousse, is a major component of E I A 1 in its own right (eg Wakeman 1889, pi 2, 4; Jope 1954b, pi 8b); we might call it 'Irish early plastic style', again drawing its simple fleshy scrolls straight from the Continent, probably as early as the later part of La-Tene I . Other, simpler, ornament occurs (eg Wakeman 1889, pi 2, 5), and the use of enamel, champleve (in small amounts) and studs. The Irish beginnings of the E I A 1 styles and objects can hardly predate the third century B C , and, apart from the odd import (such as the Clonmacnoise collar; ill Megaw 1970, no 174; I will refer frequently to Megaw 1970, as a convenient source of illustrations, further references, and summary discussion), the material that forms the major part of our assemblage is distinctively Irish. I decline on this occasion to list the component parts of E I A 1, but I have taken as a type find the deposit from Lisnacrogher (not yet properly published, but see Wakeman 1884; 1889; 1891 a & b). Unfortunately details of the discovery are worse than vague (see above) but the internal consistency of the earlier Iron-age material from the 'site' seems to justify an assumption that the objects belonged to (though did not necessarily ultimately derive from) one artistic and material 'culture'. It may be added that the presence amongst the Lisnacrogher assemblage of several uncleaned castings for objects of types also present in a finished state (mostly weapons and attachments) strongly suggests that the find was a metalworker's stock, and supports our conclusion of cultural unity, however mixed the ultimate origins of the types.

Although the Continental element in E I A 1 is the most distinctive, and probably the earliest (excepting a few indications of local later Bronze-age influence), it would be quite wrong to ignore the British connection. It will be suggested below that a strong impetus was given to the Irish sword-style by its 'Torrs-Wandsworth' cousin, perhaps a couple of generations after inception, not impossibly implying that the workshops, or their patrons, kept open the link of kinship. But the majority of the British elements may well be straight imports, such as the iron socketed axes

1 6 2 F r o m the Stone Age to the ' F o r t y - F i v e

( M a n n i n g & S a u n d e r s 1 9 7 2 ) , t h e t u b u l a r b r o n z e ' b r a c e l e t s ' ( c o m p a r e W a k e m a n 1 8 8 3 , 3 9 8 f r o m L i s n a c r o g h e r w i t h F o x 1 9 4 6 , 3 1 f o r s o u t h e r n B r i t a i n ) , a n d s o m e , a t l e a s t , o f t h e c a u l d r o n s a n d b o w l s ( M a c g r e g o r 1 9 7 6 , 1 4 9 - 5 2 f o r s u m m a r y a n d l i s t s ) . W i t h , o r e v e n f r o m , t h e l a t e r o f t h e s e o b j e c t s c e r t a i n a r t i s t i c t r a i t s w e r e o b t a i n e d , n o t a b l y t h e ' r e s e r v e d z i g - z a g ' ( c f J o p e 1 9 5 1 , 5 9 - 6 1 ) .

T h e r e a r e s e v e r a l r e a s o n s , i n c l u d i n g t h e a b u n d a n c e o f w e a p o n s , f o r b e l i e v i n g t h a t t h e i n t r u s i v e p e r s o n n e l i n E I A I w e r e n o t j u s t m e t a l w o r k e r s b u t a l s o b a n d s o f w a r r i o r - a d v e n t u r e r s o f t h e k i n d d e s c r i b e d b y A l c o c k ( 1 9 7 2 , 1 0 8 ; J o p e 1 9 5 8 , 8 0 ) . T h e i n t r u s i o n o f w a r r i o r g r o u p s a n d t h e i r f o l l o w e r s , a s s u m i n g s u c c e s s f u l i m p o s i t i o n as a d o m i n a n t a r i s t o c r a c y , w o u l d h a v e s u c h a s t r o n g e f f e c t u p o n t h e ' f i n e ' c o m p o n e n t o f t h e a r t i f a c t a s s e m b l a g e (as l o n g as t h e f o l l o w e r s i n c l u d e d c r a f t s m e n ) as t o b e , i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e l a c k o f e v i d e n c e f o r t h e c o a r s e c o m p o n e n t o f t h e ' c u l t u r e ' t h a t o b t a i n s i n I r e l a n d , i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f r o m a f u l l - s c a l e i n v a s i o n . T h e c h o i c e o f a w a r r i o r - a r i s t o c r a c y m e c h a n i s m m u s t b e r e g a r d e d as a ' m i n i m u m n e c e s s a r y ' c h o i c e , f o r i t i s n o t e a s y t o s h o w t h a t a m o r e s i z e a b l e f o l k i n t r u s i o n d i d n o t t a k e p l a c e .

A l t h o u g h m a t e r i a l a t t r i b u t a b l e t o E I A 1 i s f o u n d o v e r t h e w h o l e c o u n t r y , i t i s m a r k e d l y c o n c e n t r a t e d i n m i d C o . A n t r i m , w h e r e t h e b e s t p i e c e s h a v e b e e n f o u n d ( m a p , fig 7 5 a ) . I m u s t a d d t h a t a n u m b e r o f e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e o b j e c t s a r e n o t r e a d i l y a t t r i b u t a b l e t o e i t h e r o f m y t w o t r a d i t i o n s i n p a r t i c u l a r , a n d t h e s e h a v e b e e n e x c l u d e d f r o m t h e m a p s . M o s t o f t h e E I A 1 o b j e c t s i n t h e n o r t h - e a s t a r e s t r a y s , b u t p o s s i b l e c o n t e x t s a r e t w o c r a n n o g s ( b u t see a b o v e ) a n d a f o r d ( T o o m e , m a p , n o 3 ; b u t see W a r n e r 1 9 6 7 , 4 2 & W o o d - M a r t i n 1 8 8 6 , 1 6 9 - 7 1 ) . T h e L i s n a c r o g h e r c o l l e c t i o n l i e s w i t h i n t h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f E I A 1 m a t e r i a l ( m a p , fig 7 5 a , n o 4 ) , s u g g e s t i n g t h a t t h e w o r k s h o p w a s n o t f a r a w a y . T h e n u m b e r o f o b j e c t s f r o m t h e r i v e r B a n n , n o t c l e a r l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h f o r d s , i n v i t e s e x p l a n a t i o n i n t e r m s o f a ( b u r i a l ? ) r i t u a l i n v o l v i n g a f r e e - f l o a t i n g b o a t , as t e n t a t i v e l y s u g g e s t e d f o r t h e B r i t i s h r i v e r s W i t h a m a n d T h a m e s b y J o p e ( 1 9 7 1 , 6 5 ) .

A b o u t t h e t u r n o f t h e e r a a s t r i k i n g n e w t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l a r t - s t y l e a p p e a r e d i n I r e l a n d i n w h i c h t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c f e a t u r e s i n c l u d e d t h i n ' t r u m p e t s ' , ' l e n t o i d b o s s e s ' , r a i s e d s e p t a a n d r i b s , a n d t h e c o n t o u r i n g a n d l a p p i n g ( r u n n i n g o u t ) o f r i b s a n d t r u m p e t - t a i l s . T h i s ' I r i s h b o s s - s t y l e ' c o i n c i d e s , i n i t s i n c e p t i o n , w i t h t h e p r e s e n c e o f a f e w o b j e c t s w h o s e o r i g i n , o r a t l e a s t w h o s e i m m e d i a t e a n c e s t r y , l a y i n t h e l a t e p r e - R o m a n I r o n - a g e o f s o u t h e r n B r i t a i n ( J o p e 1 9 5 4 b ) . S o m e o f t h e a r t i s t i c f e a t u r e s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e , e s p e c i a l l y t h e l a p p i n g t a i l s , a r e t h e d i s t i n c t i v e t r a i t s o f a g r o u p o f s o u t h e r n B r i t i s h o b j e c t s f o r w h i c h F o x ( 1 9 5 8 , 1 0 9 , 1 4 4 ) p o s t u l a t e d a ' D o b u n n i c ' w o r k s h o p s o m e w h e r e i n t h e G l o u c e s t e r r e g i o n , ' o n e o f t h e c h i e f c r e a t i v e c r a f t s h o p s i n B r i t a i n ' . T h e p r o d u c t s o f t h i s w o r k s h o p i n c l u d e d , a c c o r d i n g t o F o x , t h e B a t t e r s e a s h i e l d , w i t h i t s h i g h r e p o u s s e l e n t o i d b o s s e s , i t s r i b s a n d r e g u l a r p a l m e t t e s ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 5 3 ) , s o m e o r a l l o f t h e c l a s s I l l b m i r r o r s ( F o x 1 9 4 9 ) , w h o s e a s s o c i a t i o n s i n c l u d e b r o n z e b o w l s o f t h e t y p e f o u n d a t K e s h c a r r i g a n , C o . L e i t r i m ( J o p e 1 9 5 4 b ) , a n d t h e T r a w s f y n y d d , M e r i o n e t h s h i r e , t a n k a r d ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 9 6 ) . B u t t h e n u m b e r o f B r i t i s h - s t y l e o b j e c t s r e s u l t i n g f r o m t h i s a r t i s t i c i n t r u s i o n i s r a t h e r s m a l l , t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e o b j e c t s d e c o r a t e d i n


Irish boss-style, or belonging to the same assemblage, being derived from the types already familiar in E I A 1. In one or two cases a completely new type appeared, familiar neither in E I A 1 nor in Britain. Such a case was the 'Navan' style of'safety-pin' brooch (Jope 1962, 34-7), which is clearly (as Raftery 1976, 353 also suggests) a copy of a British l l lb mirror-handle, form and decoration, altered only enough to allow the change of function.

The decoration of the early examples of Irish boss-style is cast (eg Jope 1954b) or repousse (eg the Broighter collar), but later very distinctive forms and techniques appear. We find heavy boss-style, usually repousse (eg ill Megaw 1970, no 269), and f i n e boss-style, usually reserved or tooled (Jope & Wilson 1957; O'Kelly 1961). We also find a simple unadorned form of the latter, we might call it 'fine-line' style (eg Henry 1965, pi 4). Examples of rare two-dimensional ornament are the two pairs of unprovenanced bronze 'spoons' (Craw 1924, nos 15-18; Raftery 1951, fig 231, 1-4), the stone at Derrykeighan, Co. Antrim (Waterman forthcoming), and the extraordinary collection of decorated bone plaques and combs from Loughcrew, Co. Meath (Crawford 1925), with their accompanying compasses (ibid, 15) and scriber {ibid, 27 no 93). On the whole this two-dimensional style looks like a flattened version of boss-style (it is interesting that the engraved 'mirror-style' of southern Britain did not accompany the boss-style to Ireland, although see Duignan 1976). The themes of boss-style include various 'palmette' (and-scroll) derivatives, the lotus, and variations of the S-figure, as well as more abstract or simpler patterns, such as the use of 'trumpets', as lapping pairs, to decorate a narrow surface (eg Raftery 1961, fig 253, 7).

Whether all the Loughcrew pieces should be considered as representative of Irish art is questionable. The motifs found on the pieces range over Britain and Ireland (see Simpson 1968, 250, to which more are added below), and a number of the British motifs present, such as the quatrefoil, are neither found on, nor are applicable to, works of Irish E I A 2. Indeed the 'collection' area of the motifs is paralleled by the collection of metalwork, surely ntually deposited, at Newgrange, not far from Loughcrew and also a Neolithic passage-grave (Carson & O'Kelly 1977). Whether the motifs were collected from objects which came to Ireland, or whether the artists (copyists) themselves travelled abroad is not easily decided, but I am quite sure that the major production undertaken by the Loughcrew inscribers was of decorated bone plaques and combs, a possible exception being some rare incised metalwork, for they very probably decorated the handles of one of the pairs of Irish 'spoons' (Raftery 1951, fig 231, 1, 2). I f we consider art as having a religious function, as surely we must, the production of such objects in a passage-grave with decorated kerb-stones might seem less surprising. This digression on Loughcrew may be worthwhile in view of the number of occasions upon which the decoration has been referred to in both Islands.

A particularly important feature of Irish boss-style is the stem-biting duck-head (see fig 78), seen, for instance, on the Ballybogey, Co. Antrim, mirror handle (Jope 1954a, fig 2) and on a number of horse-bits (eg Haworth 1971, fig 7). That it developed in Ireland in E I A I , and is not intrusive, is shown by its presence on


s o m e e a r l y - s t y l e h o r s e - b i t s ( e g H a w o r t h 1 9 7 1 , f i g 2 b , f i g 5 ; R a f t e r y 1 9 7 4 ) , a n d i n l o w r e l i e f o n t h e h o r n - d i s c f r o m L o u g h - n a - s h a d e , C o . A r m a g h ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 4 6 ) . I t s r a r e a p p e a r a n c e o n B r i t i s h o b j e c t s ( s u c h as t h e T r a w s f y n y d d , M e r i o n e t h s h i r e , t a n k a r d h a n d l e ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 9 6 ) ) m i g h t i n d i c a t e I r i s h i n f l u e n c e i n t h e s e o b j e c t s . C a r e f u l i n s p e c t i o n o f t h e S - f i g u r e b a s e d d e c o r a t i o n o f t h e B r o i g h t e r c o l l a r ( t h e d r a w i n g b y P r a e t o r i u s i n E v a n s 1 8 9 7 , i s t h e c l e a r e s t p u b l i s h e d i l l u s t r a t i o n , a n d h a s b e e n m u c h r e p r o d u c e d ) , p o s s i b l y a r e - m o d e l l i n g o f a G a u l i s h i m p o r t ( J o p e 1 9 5 8 , 8 0 ) , r e v e a l s a t e a c h e n d a fine a n i m a l h e a d d e v e l o p e d f r o m t h e r e p o u s s e s c r o l l a n d ' t r u m p e t s ' . T h e m a t i c a l l y i t i s e x t r e m e l y r e m i n i s c e n t o f t h e ' r i s i n g b i r d ' o n t h e W a n d s w o r t h s h i e l d - b o s s ( J o p e 1 9 7 1 , 6 8 , f n 3 9 , & p i 2 5 ) , t h o u g h p e r h a p s t h e B r o i g h t e r figure ( a n d t h e W a n d s w o r t h ? ) s h o u l d b e s e e n r a t h e r as a h o r s e , w i t h u p t u r n e d m u z z l e , e a r s a n d f o r w a r d - f i y i n g m a n e . W h a t e v e r t h e a n i m a l , i t s i m m e d i a t e c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e s t e m - t e r m i n a l ' b i r d ' h e a d s ( s i c k l e - c r e s t e d , l e a f -c r e s t e d a n d n o n - c r e s t e d ) o n t h e t o o l e d fine-boss o b j e c t s s u c h as t h e B a n n - d i s c ( J o p e & W i l s o n 1 9 5 7 ) a n d ' P e t r i e ' c r o w n ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 7 0 ) c a n n o t b e d o u b t e d , a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h i s t y p e o f h e a d , q u i t e d i f l e r e n t f r o m t h e d u c k - h e a d d i s c u s s e d e a r l i e r , w i t h i n E I A 2 a r t , a n d i t s p l a c e i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e e a r l i e s t l a t e r I r o n - a g e s t y l e s , c a n n o t b e o v e r - s t r e s s e d .

I d e f i n e m y e a r l i e r I r o n - a g e 2 ( E I A 2 ) as t h o s e o b j e c t s d e c o r a t e d i n t h e v a r i a n t s o f I r i s h b o s s - s t y l e , a n d t h e i r a s s o c i a t i v e a n d t y p o l o g i c a l a s s e m b l a g e . A l t h o u g h t h e i n f l u e n c e o f E I A 1 a r t ( as o p p o s e d t o t h e o b j e c t t y p e s ) i s r a t h e r s m a l l , t h e r e a r e i n d i c a t i o n s , i n b o s s - s t y l e t r a i t s o n s o m e o b j e c t s o t h e r w i s e o f c l e a r E I A 1 f o r m , t h a t t h e s t y l e s o v e r l a p p e d , p e r h a p s d u r i n g t h e 1st c e n t u r y A D . T h e r e a r e n o i n d i c a t i o n s t h a t a n y o t h e r p e r s o n n e l t h a n c r a f t s m e n w e r e i n v o l v e d i n i t s i n c e p t i o n , t h e l a t e first c e n t u r y A D i n t r u s i o n s o f r e f u g e e g r o u p s a r g u e d e l s e w h e r e ( W a r n e r 1 9 7 6 ) h a v i n g a p p a r e n t l y a v o i d e d m a j o r c o n t a c t w i t h t h e E I A 2 p e o p l e s . T h e a l m o s t a l l - I r e l a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n o f E I A 2 ( W a r n e r 1 9 7 6 , fig 1 ) s h o w s a n u m b e r o f c l u s t e r s , i n t e r e s t i n g l y c o i n c i d i n g w i t h t h e p o w e r - c e n t r e s i n t h e ' p r e - C h r i s t i a n ' t a l e s k n o w n as t h e ' U l s t e r C y c l e ' . T h e r e a r e s m a l l t y p o l o g i c a l a n d a r t i s t i c d i f l e r e n c e s b e t w e e n t h e c l u s t e r s , b u t t h e s i m i l a r i t i e s a r e s o s t r o n g t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y t h a t w e m u s t a s s u m e t h a t t h e w o r k s h o p s p r o d u c i n g E I A 2 d e c o r a t e d m a t e r i a l , o r p e r h a p s m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y t h e a r t i s t s , w e r e e i t h e r i n c o n s t a n t c o n t a c t o r c o n s t a n t m o v e m e n t . T h e m o s t c o n c e n t r a t e d c l u s t e r i s a r o u n d t h e m o u t h o f t h e r i v e r B a n n , m o s t l y i n n o r t h C o . A n t r i m ( m a p , fig 7 5 a ) , s l i g h t l y b u t s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e l o c a l d i s t r i b u t i o n o f E I A 1 . L o c a l p r o d u c t i o n , o r a t l e a s t l o c a l a r t i s t i c c o m p e t e n c e , i s i n d i c a t e d b y t h e l a r g e d e c o r a t e d s t o n e a t D e r r y k e i g h a n ( W a t e r m a n f o r t h c o m i n g ; m a p , fig 7 5 a , 5 ) , w i t h i n t h e c l u s t e r . A l s o i n t h i s c l u s t e r a r e t h e e a r l y B a l l y b o g e y m i r r o r - h a n d l e ( J o p e 1 9 5 4 a ) , t h e B r o i g h t e r c o l l a r ( i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 8 9 ; p a r t o f a m a j o r g o l d h o a r d i n c l u d i n g a m o d e l b o a t , E v a n s 1 8 9 7 ; m a p , fig 7 5 a , 1 ) , a n d t h e ' B a n n ' d i s c ( J o p e & W i l s o n , 1 9 5 7 ; m a p , fig l a , 2 ) . C o n t e x t s w i t h i n t h i s n o r t h e r n c l u s t e r c o n s i s t o f a v o t i v e d e p o s i t i n t h e s a n d y m a r s h e s a t t h e m o u t h o f t h e r i v e r R o e ( B r o i g h t e r ; C o c h r a n e 1 9 0 2 ) , a n d t h e m a j o r f o r d o f t h e B a n n ( C a m u s , 2 o n m a p ; t h e n e x t f o r d w a s 3 0 m i l e s u p r i v e r ) .

I r e l a n d , Ulster and Scotland i n the E a r l i e r I r o n Age 165

^,-9\ \ v /

—^ S ^ 6 1 1 •- : ••> V

Objects of Earlier Iron-age 1 o O and 2 • •

1 , 1 P — i 1^" km '

Imports of Roman date • #

Imported glass x

Kw 1 9 7 7

Figuie 75a Nor thern Ireland distr ibut ion of ob|ects unambiguo i is lv assigned to earlier Iron Ages 1 and 2 b. Distr ibut ion of Roman period i i r ipoi ts into nor thern Ireland f rom Britain, and forts showing marked Scott ish features.

II S C O T L A N D The pan-British Isles distribution of many early Iron-age object types, their often unclear contexts, and typological simplicity, can prevent satisfactory discussion of their origins, interrelations and spread. Thus a number of objects found in Ireland and in Scotland (and in southern Britain) must be excluded from a discussion of the relationship between the two countries until it can be demonstrated that the distributions are not simply 'cognate'. This is true of, for instance, 'beehive' shaped querns (Caulfield forthcoming), iron socketed axes (Manning & Saunders 1972), crannogs, and coarse 'flat-rimmed' pottery. A good illustration is the spiral 'finger-ring', and I find myself in agreement with Clarke's conclusion (1971) that their cultural and chronological ubiquity make any assumption based on apparent typological unity a dangerous one. Problems of chronological incompatibility are apparent in, for instance, the handled stone 'lamps' dated to the Roman Iron-age in Scotland (Steer 1956) and the similar Irish type which seems to be several centuries later (eg Harper 1974, 40). O f types whose date and cultural connections are the subject of much disagreement, I will refer only to the gold ribbon tores. The Irish distribution (Eogan 1964, fig 7) has a northern perhaps north-western trend, and the Irish associations (summarised ibid, 280; Coles 1964, 124-5) indicate an earlier Iron-age date (both E I A 1 and 2). Analysis of the gold of a large number of the Irish tores (Hartmann 1970, 50, gruppe P C ) places them firmly, well away from the undeniable later Bronze-age Irish goldwork and with that of the 'La-Tene Iron-age', both Irish and Continental. Arguments for a middle or later Bronze-age date

166 F r o m the Stone Age to the ' F o r t y - F i v e

( E o g a n , C o l e s opera cit), b a s e d o n a t y p o l o g i c a l s i m i l a r i t y w i t h s o u t h e r n B r i t i s h b r o n z e t o r e s , a n d a l o s t p i e c e o f b r o n z e f r o m t h e L a r g o h o a r d , a r e q u i t e u n c o n v i n c i n g . T h e S c o t t i s h s c a t t e r o f r i b b o n t o r e s a n d a r m l e t s ( C o l e s 1 9 6 4 , f i g 1 5 ) i s d o m i n a t e d b y t h r e e e a s t e r n h o a r d s b e t w e e n t h e F o r t h a n d t h e M o r a y F i r t h , i n ' p r o t o - P i c t i s h ' t e r r i t o r y . F o r w h a t i t i s w o r t h , o n e o f t h e s e c a m e f r o m t h e t e r r i t o r y o f t h e Venicones ( s ee R i c h m o n d 1 9 5 8 , 1 4 3 , a f t e r C P t o l e m a i u s ) , w h i l e a g o o d p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e I r i s h e x a m p l e s c a m e f r o m t h e t e r r i t o r y o f t h e Vennicnii ( C P t o l e m a i u s , Geog, I I , 2 . 2 ) . T h e s e 2 n d c e n t u r y t r i b a l n a m e s w o u l d a p p e a r t o h a v e t h e s a m e r o o t .

T w o o b j e c t t y p e s t y p i c a l o f I r i s h E I A 1 a r e t h e w a i s t e d c a s t - b r o n z e ' s p e a r - b u t t ' ( W a k e m a n 1 8 9 1 a , 3 9 3 ) a n d t h e c a s t - b r o n z e r i n g - h e a d e d p i n . T h e l a t t e r , a l t h o u g h c l o s e l y a l l i e d e x a m p l e s a r e f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t B r i t a i n ( D u n n i n g 1 9 3 5 ) , h a s a n u m b e r o f v e r y d i s t i n c t i v e I r i s h f o r m s ( e g ibid, p i 1 , 5 - 7 ; S e a b y 1 9 6 4 ) w i t h t r a i t s t y p i c a l o f o t h e r I r i s h E I A 1 m a t e r i a l , s u c h as t h e a n g l e - m o u l d i n g . F r o m H a r r a y B r o c h , i n O r k n e y , c o m e s a n I r i s h - s t y l e s p e a r - b u t t ( M a c g r e g o r 1 9 7 6 , n o 1 7 9 ; w h e r e p o s s i b l e I s h a l l r e f e r o n l y t o t h i s s o u r c e f o r S c o t t i s h d e c o r a t e d m a t e r i a l , as M ; i n h e r d i s c u s s i o n , e s p e c i a l l y p p 1 8 5 f f , s h e i d e n t i f i e s s e v e r a l o f t h e o b j e c t s a n d i n f l u e n c e s w h i c h I d i s c u s s h e r e ) . F r a g m e n t s o f , p e r h a p s t w o , m o u l d s f o r w h a t a p p e a r t o b e t h e s a m e t y p e o f s p e a r - b u t t w e r e f o u n d i n t h e p r i m a r y l a y e r s o f t h e B r o c h o f D u n M o r V a u l , T i r e e , d a t e d b y t h e e x c a v a t o r b e t w e e n t h e e a r l i e r 1s t c e n t u r y B C a n d a b o u t A D 2 0 0 ( M a c K i e 1 9 7 4 , 1 5 2 - 5 ) . A m o u l d f o r t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f a s i m i l a r b u t t w a s f o u n d i n t h e v i t r i f i e d f o r t o f D u n a g o i l , o n B u t e ( M n o 1 7 8 ) , w h i c h s i t e a l s o p r o d u c e d a c a s t - b r o n z e r i n g - h e a d e d p i n ( P i g g o t t , C 1 9 5 0 , f i g 1 1 ) w h i c h , t h o u g h l a c k i n g a n y s p e c i f i c a l l y I r i s h f e a t u r e s , i s n o t i m p o s s i b l y I r i s h . A r i n g - h e a d e d p i n o f u n q u e s t i o n a b l e I r i s h o r i g i n , a n d 2 n d o r 3 r d c e n t u r y B C d a t e , c a m e f r o m t h e i s l a n d o f C o l l ( M n o 2 6 5 ; c o m p a r e D u n n i n g 1 9 3 5 , p i I , 5 ) . A g a i n i n t h e H e b r i d e s , t h e p i n f r o m S a s s a i g , S k y e ( M n o 2 6 6 ) , w i t h i t s d i s t i n c t i v e a n g l e - m o u l d i n g a n d s w o l l e n r i n g - f r o n t i s c e r t a i n l y a n a l l - b r o n z e c o p y o f t h e e n a m e l l e d n o r t h - e a s t I r i s h t y p e ( c f S e a b y 1 9 6 4 , t h o u g h h i s d a t i n g i s u n a c c e p t a b l e ; f o r a n o t h e r c o p y , f r o m A n t r i m , S m i t h 1 9 2 5 , fig 1 0 7 ) . O n e o f t h e s e e n a m e l l e d p i n s , p a r a l l e l e d a t L i s n a c r o g h e r i t s e l f ( S e a b y 1 9 6 4 , fig 1 & p i 1 0 ) , c a m e f r o m a c r e m a t i o n u n d e r a d i t c h e d c a i r n a t H i g h K n o w e s , N o r t h u m b e r l a n d ( J o b e y & T a i t 1 9 6 6 , 2 5 - 3 3 ) . O n t h e r i n g - h e a d e d p i n f r o m C a i r s p h a i r n , A y r s h i r e ( S i m p s o n & S i m p s o n 1 9 6 8 , fig 3 b , w r o n g l y c a p t i o n e d ) , l i k e s o m e o f t h e I r i s h e n a m e l l e d p i n s t o w h i c h i t i s m o s t c l o s e l y r e l a t e d ( e g S e a b y 1 9 6 4 , p i 1 0 , 3 - 5 ; a l s o t h a t f r o m H i g h K n o w e s , a b o v e ) t h e r i n g i s l a p p e d .

I t s e e m s t o b e g e n e r a l l y a g r e e d t h a t t h e T o r r s , K i r k c u d b r i g h t s h i r e , p o n y - c a p a n d ' h o r n s ' ( M n o s 1 , 2 8 5 , 2 8 6 ) c a m e f r o m a 2 n d c e n t u r y B C w o r k s h o p i n e a s t e r n B r i t a i n ( e g S t e v e n s o n 1 9 6 6 , 2 4 ) , t h e s i m i l a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e i r d e c o r a t i o n a n d t h a t o f s e v e r a l I r i s h o b j e c t s s t r e s s e d b y A t k i n s o n a n d P i g g o t t ( 1 9 5 5 ) b e i n g p a r t l y d u e t o c o g n a t i o n , t h e I r i s h s w o r d - s t y l e a n d t h e B r i t i s h s t y l e I V b o t h c o m i n g f r o m t h e s a m e C o n t i n e n t a l s o u r c e s . B u t I w o u l d l i k e t o s u g g e s t a m o d i f i c a t i o n o f t h i s c o n c l u s i o n a p p l i e d t o t h e ' h o r n s ' ( i l l s o f h o r n s i n A t k i n s o n & P i g g o t t , 1 9 5 5 ) . ' H o r n ' B i s c o m p l e t e , w i t h a d u c k - h e a d e d t e r m i n a l ( d i s t a n t l y r e l a t e d t o t h a t o n t h e K e s c h c a r r i g a n b o w l ) a n d a p l e a s i n g r o c k e d - g r a v e r p a t t e r n . ' H o r n ' A h a s h a d i t s


u p p e r t h i r d r e p l a c e d i n a n t i q u i t y , i n c l u d i n g t h e c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e p a t t e r n . T h e o r i g i n a l i s c l e a r l y b y t h e s a m e h a n d as A , a n d i t i s u s u a l l y h e l d t h a t t h e r e p l a c e m e n t p a t t e r n , t h o u g h b y a d i f f e r e n t h a n d , i s f r o m t h e s a m e s c h o o l as t h e o r i g i n a l . T h e o r i g i n a l d e c o r a t i o n , i n g r a v i n g s o c o a r s e t h a t t h e p a t t e r n i s r e a l l y i n r e s e r v e , i s o f l o o s e , a s y m m e t r i c , o v e r l a p p i n g b u t l i n k e d m e a n d e r s w i t h i n v o l u t e d t e r m i n a l s p i r a l s ( r a t h e r y i n - y a n g r e m i n i s c e n t ) , s t r a i g h t d i v i s i o n b a r s , s c a l l o p e d f a n s a n d , as i n f i l l e r s , l o o s e s p i r a l s a n d a r c - p a i r e d d o t t e d l e a v e s . T h e s t y l e ( t h o u g h I t h i n k n o t t h e g r a v e r c o a r s e n e s s ) i s t y p i c a l o f t h e B r i t i s h w o r k s o f t h e W i t h a m / W a n d s w o r t h s c h o o l s ( e g F o x 1 9 5 8 , p i s 1 3 , 2 2 b ) . T h e r e p l a c e m e n t d e c o r a t i o n o f ' h o r n ' A i s i n fine g r a v e r , b a s e d o n a r a t h e r r i g i d r u n n i n g s p i r a l , f a i l i n g t o u n d e r s t a n d o r r e p e a t t h e p a t t e r n a n d f r e e d o m o f t h e o r i g i n a l , f r o m w h i c h i t s p r i n g s u n c o m f o r t a b l y . I t h a s s o m e s i m p l e m o t i f s o f t h e o r i g i n a l , s u c h as t h e d o t t e d l e a v e s , t h o u g h n o w i n s y m m e t r i c a l g r o u p s , b u t h a s t i g h t ' h a i r - s p r i n g ' s p i r a l s a n d l a c k s t h e s c a l l o p e d f a n s . I n s u m , t o m y e y e a t l e a s t , t h e r e p l a c e m e n t p a t t e r n i s s t r i k i n g l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e o r i g i n a l . I r i s h s w o r d - s t y l e h a s t w o e a r l y v a r i a n t s , L i s n a c r o g h e r ( s c a b b a r d s 1 & 2 , i l l J o p e 1 9 5 4 a ) a n d r i v e r B a n n ( T o o m e , ibid, a n d t h e finer C o l e r a i n e s c a b b a r d , R a f t e r y 1 9 5 1 , fig 2 1 6 ) . T h e r e g u l a r i t y o f t h e t h e m e , a n d a l l t h e m o t i f s o n t h e r e p l a c e m e n t e x c e p t t h e s i n g l e a r c - p a i r e d l e a v e s c a n b e s e e n o n t h e L i s n a c r o g h e r s c a b b a r d s . A l l t h e t h e m e s i n t h e o r i g i n a l d e c o r a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h e a s y m m e t r y a n d t h e i n v o l u t e d t e r m i n u s , c a n b e f o u n d i n o n e o r b o t h o f t h e B a n n s c a b b a r d s , p a r t i c u l a r l y C o l e r a i n e . F u r t h e r , t h e a s y m m e t r i c a l l y s c r o l l e d m u s h r o o m s o n t h e B a n n s c a b b a r d s a r e f o u n d i n r e p o u s s e o n t h e T o r r s p o n y - c a p . T h e i n e s c a p a b l e c o n c l u s i o n s e e m s t o b e t h a t t h e p o n y - c a p a n d ' h o r n s ' f o u n d t h e i r w a y t o I r e l a n d , n o t v e r y l o n g a f t e r t h e ' h o r n s ' m a n u f a c t u r e ( t h e p o n y - c a p h a d a l r e a d y b e e n r e p a i r e d ? ) . T h e r e t h e ' h o r n s ' w e r e r e p a i r e d i n a w o r k s h o p w h o s e p r o d u c t s h a d i n c l u d e d t h e L i s n a c r o g h e r s c a b b a r d s I a n d 2 , i n t h e s t y l e o f t h a t w o r k s h o p . T h e a r t a l r e a d y u p o n t h e m , a n d u p o n a n y o b j e c t s a c c o m p a n y i n g t h e m , w a s i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o t h e r e p e r t o i r e f o r u s e o n t h e B a n n s c a b b a r d s . P e r h a p s a s t y l e I V c r a f t s m a n a c c o m p a n i e d t h e m ( o r t h e i r o w n e r s ) . E v e n t u a l l y t h e y r e c r o s s e d t h e I r i s h sea , a n d w e r e d e p o s i t e d i n s o u t h - w e s t S c o t l a n d as , i n e f f e c t , i m p o r t s f r o m I r e l a n d .

T h e s c a b b a r d f r o m B a r g a n y H o u s e i n A y r s h i r e ( M n o 1 4 0 ) , t h o u g h t e c h n i c a l l y o f E I A 1 f o r m ( P i g g o t t 1 9 5 0 , g r o u p I l i a ) , h a s a p l a i n p l a t e , a n d a c h a p e d e c o r a t e d i n I r i s h b o s s - s t y l e o f E I A 2 w i t h t h e s t e m - b i t i n g b i r d - h e a d s , y e t w i t h a t h i c k e n e d c h a p e - e n d s u g g e s t i n g i n f l u e n c e f r o m t h e B r i t i s h s c a b b a r d s ( J o p e 1 9 5 4 a , 8 8 ) . T h e a b s e n c e o f l a t e L a - T e n e d e r i v a t i v e s c a b b a r d s a n d s w o r d s ( P i g g o t t ' s g r o u p s I V a n d V ) f r o m t h e I r i s h m a i n l a n d m i g h t h a v e l e d u s t o e x p e c t t h a t t h e e a r l i e r f o r m c o n t i n u e d i n t o E I A 2 , a n d J o p e ( 1 9 5 8 , 7 9 ) h a s i n d i c a t e d t e c h n i q u e s o n a L i s n a c r o g h e r s c a b b a r d ( g r i d d e d b a s k e t r y ) a n d a n I r i s h c h a p e ( r e s e r v e d z i g - z a g ) w h i c h m a y h a v e c o m e f r o m t h e s a m e B r i t i s h s o u r c e as t h e b o s s - s t y l e . N e v e r t h e l e s s t h e s e t e c h n i q u e s d i d n o t e n t e r t h e b o s s - s t y l e r e p e r t o i r e , n o r d o a n y I r i s h p r o v e n a n c e d s c a b b a r d s s h o w b o s s - s t y l e , s o t h e B a r g a n y s c a b b a r d s t a n d s as s o m e t h i n g o f a n a n o m a l y . O n t h e g r o u n d s o f s l i g h t n e s s i t s e e m s n o t i m p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e n e a r b y S t e v e n s t o n , A y r s h i r e , s w o r d f r a g m e n t ( M n o 1 3 9 ) w a s p a r t o f a n I r i s h ( I l i a ) r a t h e r t h a n a B r i t i s h ( I I ) s w o r d .


F r o m a w h e e l - h o u s e o n N o r t h U i s t i n t h e o u t e r H e b r i d e s ( B a c M h i c C o n n a i n ) c o m e s a w h a l e - b o n e m i r r o r - h a n d l e ( ? ) ( M n o 2 7 1 ) , c a r r y i n g a n g l e - m o u l d i n g s t h a t m i g h t e v e n b e c a l l e d d u c k - b e a k s . T h e y i n d i c a t e a n I r i s h b a c k g r o u n d f o r t h i s o b j e c t ( t h o u g h t h e w h a l e - b o n e w a s s u r e l y l o c a l l y o b t a i n e d ) , e i t h e r i n l a t e E I A 1 o r E I A 2 . I f i t i s a m i r r o r - h a n d l e E I A 2 s e e m s m o r e a p p r o p r i a t e ( a n d t h e a n g u l a r i n n e r c h a m f e r i s c o m p a r a b l e t o t h e B a l l y b o g e y h a n d l e ) , b u t n o n e o f t h e B r i t i s h m i r r o r -h a n d l e s p r o v i d e s a p a r a l l e l f o r t h e f o r m a n d t h e n e a r e s t m o d e l w o u l d s e e m t o b e a n I r i s h s c a b b a r d c h a p e . A n a l m o s t i d e n t i c a l b r o n z e v e r s i o n , o n l y l a c k i n g t h e m o u l d i n g s , c o m e s f r o m t h e c r a n n o g a t L o c h l e e , A y r s h i r e ( M n o 2 7 2 n o t f a r f r o m B a r g a n y ) , w h i c h p r o d u c e d B r i t i s h a n d R o m a n o b j e c t s o f t h e 2 n d c e n t u r y ( a m o n g s t m a t e r i a l o f o t h e r d a t e s ) .

Figure 76. The pedigree of the decoration on the Langbank, Renfrewshire comb. The comb decoration is incised, that on the BM disc is repousse and

that on the 'Petrie' crown is reserve tooled.

F r o m a n o t h e r c r a n n o g , a t L a n g b a n k , R e n f r e w s h i r e , c o m e s a s e m i - c i r c u l a r b o n e c o m b w i t h i n c i s e d d e c o r a t i o n ( M n o 2 7 5 ; a n d a s m a l l p e n a n n u l a r b r o o c h o f e a r l y R o m a n d a t e , S t e v e n s o n 1 9 6 6 , 2 5 ) . T h e t h e m e ( f i g 7 6 ) , a c r o s s b e t w e e n a l o t u s a n d a s p r u n g - p a l m e t t e , w i t h a l a r g e e c c e n t r i c a l l y e y e d c e n t r a l c i r c l e , a n d s m a l l e r s i m i l a r c i r c l e s i n p l a c e o f f o o t s c r o l l s , i s a l i n e a r v e r s i o n o f t h e E I A 2 b o s s - s t y l e d e c o r a t i o n o f a s e r i e s o f l a r g e b r o n z e I r i s h d i s c s ( i l l A r m s t r o n g 1 9 2 3 , p i 5 ) . T h e g e n e r a l t h e m e , t h e m o t i f s , t h e c o m p a s s p r o d u c t i o n , t h e s t i p p l i n g a n d t h e t h i n e d g i n g t r u m p e t s , as w e l l as t h e c o m b i t s e l f , a l l t i e i t u n h e s i t a t i n g l y t o L o u g h c r e w ( o r w h a t e v e r I r i s h s c h o o l t h e L o u g h c r e w o b j e c t s w e r e c o p y i n g ) a n d t h e I r i s h ' s p o o n s ' . F u r t h e r , s u c h i s t h e a m b i g u o u s n a t u r e o f s o m u c h ' e a r l y C e l t i c ' a r t , t h e p a t t e r n c a n b e s e e n , as s u r e l y w a s i n t e n d e d , as a p a i r o f b a c k - t o - b a c k s i c k l e - c r e s t e d b i r d - h e a d s o f t h e ' B a n n ' d i s c a n d ' P e t r i e c r o w n ' t y p e (see a b o v e a n d b e l o w ) w i t h o u t t h e i r s t e m s . A c r o s s S c o t l a n d


a m i d d e n a t S e a c l i f f e , E a s t L o t h i a n , p r o d u c e d a n o t h e r s e m i - c i r c u l a r c o m b ( M n o 2 7 4 ; w i t h ' R o m a n ' p o t t e r y ) . T h e i n c i s e d d e c o r a t i o n , a g a i n d o t t e d , i s a v e r y ' d e g e n e r a t e ' v e r s i o n o f t h e L a n g b a n k t h e m e , b r o k e n d o w n i n t o a n u m b e r o f u n c o n n e c t e d c i r c l e s a n d a r c s . B u t a g a i n t h i s ' d e g e n e r a t e ' s t y l e c a n b e s e e n a m o n g s t t h e L o u g h c r e w p i e c e s .

A cas t b r o n z e b a l l f r o m W a l s t o n , L a n a r k s h i r e ( M n o 3 4 9 ) i s d e c o r a t e d , i n i n t a g l i o , w i t h t w o t h r e e - a r m e d w h i r l i g i g s , o n e e n d i n g i n l e a f - c r e s t e d b i r d - h e a d s , t h e o t h e r i n l o b e s . T h e a r t i s t i c , b u t n o t t e c h n i c a l , d e t a i l s a n d t h e m e c a n b e c l o s e l y p a r a l l e l e d i n E I A 2 b o s s - s t y l e , i n p a r t i c u l a r t h e l e a f - c r e s t e d b i r d - h e a d s , a n d l o b e t e r m i n a l s , o f t h e s p i r a l s o n t h e ' P e t r i e c r o w n ' ( R a f t e r y 1 9 5 1 , fig 2 3 2 ) . A s J o p e a n d W i l s o n p o i n t e d o u t ( 1 9 5 7 , 1 0 0 ) , t h e l e a f - c r e s t e d b i r d - h e a d o n o u r I r i s h p i e c e s i s c l o s e l y p a r a l l e l e d b y t h e ' d r a g o n e s q u e ' b r o o c h e s o f t h e l a t e r 1 s t a n d 2 n d c e n t u r i e s ( F e a c h e m 1 9 5 1 ) , b u t n o t n e c e s s a r i l y d e r i v e d t h e r e f r o m (as M a c g r e g o r 1 9 7 6 , 1 8 5 ) . I n f a c t t h e b r o o c h e s a r e e v e n c l o s e r t o t h e t h e m e o f t h e B r o i g h t e r c o l l a r ( a b o v e ) , a n S - f i g u r e w i t h s y m m e t r i c a l , e a r e d , h o r s e ( ? ) - h e a d t e r m i n i , a n d as a p a r a l l e l f o r t h e f o r m o f t h e c o l l a r h a s c o m e f r o m N o r f o l k ( S n e t t i s h a m ; i l l F o x 1 9 5 8 , p i 3 2 b ) , a n d w h a t i s u s u a l l y t a k e n t o b e t h e p r o t o t y p i c a l ( a n d t h e o n l y ' t r u m p e t ' o r n a m e n t e d ) d r a g o n e s q u e b r o o c h f r o m S u f f o l k ( L a k e n h e a t h : L e e d s 1 9 3 3 , 1 0 8 ) , w e m a y e i t h e r c o n c l u d e t h a t a l l w e r e m a d e i n E a s t A n g l i a , o r t h a t t h e c o l l a r a n d t h e b r o o c h e s h a v e a c o m m o n E a s t A n g l i a n a r t i s t i c s o u r c e . B e a r i n g i n m i n d t h e S n a i l w e l l , C a m b r i d g e s h i r e , b r a c e l e t as a p r o t o t y p e f o r t h e n o r t h B r i t i s h s n a k e - b r a c e l e t s e r i e s ( M a c g r e g o r 1 9 7 6 ) , t h e f r a g m e n t a t i o n o f o n e o r m o r e s o u t h e r n w o r k s h o p s i n t h e first c e n t u r y s e e m s t h e m o s t l i k e l y e x p l a n a t i o n b o t h f o r t h i s a n d t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f b o s s - s t y l e g e n e r a l l y . T h a t t h e t r u e l e a f - c r e s t e x i s t e d i n E a s t A n g l i a e a r l y e n o u g h t o ge t i n t o a n I r i s h r e p e r t o i r e b e f o r e , o r i n d e p e n d e n t l y o f , t h e d r a g o n e s q u e b r o o c h e s i s s h o w n b y t h e G r e a t C h e s t e r f o r d , E s s e x , m i r r o r ' s d r o o p - s n o u t e d b i r d - h e a d ( d e t a i l i n M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 6 0 ) . T h e r e f o r e t h e o r i g i n o f t h e c r e s t s o n t h e W a l s t o n s p h e r e , w h e t h e r f r o m E I A 2 ( t h e m o s t p r o b a b l e s o u r c e f o r t h e g e n e r a l t h e m e ) o r f r o m t h e d r a g o n e s q u e b r o o c h e s , o n t h e n o r t h e r n m a r g i n o f t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f w h i c h t h e s p h e r e l i e s , i s n o t a t a l l c l e a r . A n d e r s o n ( 1 8 8 3 , 1 6 2 ) c l a s s e d t h i s b a l l w i t h t h e ' P i c t i s h ' ( as t h e y o n c e s e e m e d ) c a r v e d s t o n e b a l l s o f e a s t e r n S c o t l a n d , o n e o f w h i c h w a s f o u n d i n C o . A n t r i m ( S m i t h 1 9 2 5 , 1 5 7 ) . T h i s t e m p t i n g c o n n e c t i o n i s n o w m a d e l ess l i k e l y b y A t k i n s o n ' s d e m o n s t r a t i o n ( 1 9 6 2 , 2 7 - 2 8 ) t h a t t h e s t o n e b a l l s a r e l i k e l y t o b e o f N e o l i t h i c d a t e .

T h e S t i c h i l l , P e e b l e s s h i r e , c o l l a r ( M n o 2 1 0 ) i s r e l a t e d t o a s o u t h - w e s t e r n B r i t i s h s e r i e s ( M e g a w 1 9 7 1 ; i t w a s p r o b a b l y f o u n d w i t h t w o e a s t e r n S c o t t i s h ( ' p r o t o -P i c t i s h ' ) h e a v y a r m l e t s ) . T h e r e c a n b e n o d o u b t t h a t t h e d i e - s t a m p e d ( ? ) o r n a m e n t o n t h e f r o n t o f t h e c o l l a r i s B r i t i s h ( S i m p s o n 1 9 6 8 , 2 5 3 ) , b u t t h e r e s e r v e - t o o l e d o r n a m e n t o n t h e s i d e s a n d b a c k p o i n t s t e c h n i c a l l y t o I r e l a n d (as S t e v e n s o n 1 9 6 6 , 3 2 first s a w ; f o r t h e t e c h n i q u e , O ' K e l l y 1 9 6 1 ) . A r t i s t i c a l l y a l s o , e x c e p t i n g t h e p e l t i f o r m a r r a n g e m e n t s o f s c r o l l e d t r u m p e t s w h i c h a r e c l e a r l y c o p i e d f r o m t h e f r o n t p l a t e s : t h e fine-line s p i r a l s w i t h e y e - l o b e t e r m i n a l s ( c f a n E I A 2 h o r s e - b i t f r o m A t t y m o n , C o . G a l w a y , H e n r y 1 9 6 5 , p i 4 ) , l o w r e l i e f a d o r n m e n t o f t h e fine-line, e s p e c i a l l y t h e w e b b i n g o f t h e s p i r a l s ( B a n n d i s c , J o p e & W i l s o n 1 9 5 7 , p i 9 ) , t h e s i m p l e , r e g u l a r .


s c r o l l - b a s e d t h e m e s , a n d t h e p o i n t - t o - p o i n t ' c o m m a s ' p r o d u c e d b y t h e w e b b e d S -s p i r a l s o n t h e b a c k , s e e n s c h e m a t i c a l l y a t L o u g h c r e w ( C r a w f o r d 1 9 2 5 , fig 1 0 , b u t see a b o v e ) . I t h i n k , p e r h a p s , t h a t M e g a w w a s u n d e r s t a t i n g w h e n h e c o n s i d e r e d ' a n I r i s h l i n k ( f o r t h e S t i c h i l l c o l l a r ) f a r f r o m o u t o f t h e q u e s t i o n ' .

T h e e y e d - l o b e e n d i n g s p i r a l b r i n g s u s t o t h e fine-line, t o o l e d , d e c o r a t e d s i l v e r b a r f r o m a 1s t o r 2 n d c e n t u r y l e v e l a t T r a p r a i n L a w , E a s t L o t h i a n ( C u r i e 1 9 2 0 , 7 0 & fig 8 , 9 ; B u r l e y 1 9 5 6 , n o 2 6 9 ) . A c r o s s t h e F o r t h , t h e N o r r i e s L a w h o a r d o f h a c k s i l v e r c o n t a i n e d , w i t h R o m a n f r a g m e n t s ( S t e v e n s o n 1 9 5 6 ) a n d c o m p l e t e l a t e r I r o n - a g e h a n d - p i n s , a s i l v e r p l a q u e d e c o r a t e d i n t h e h e a v y b o s s - s t y l e , w i t h k e e l e d v o l u t e s , a n d l a p p i n g h e a v y t r u m p e t s , o f t h e I r i s h E I A 2 d i s c s , p a r t i c u l a r l y a n u n p r o v e n a n c e d o n e i n t h e B r i t i s h M u s e u m ( a s s u m e d t o b e f r o m I r e l a n d , i l l M e g a w 1 9 7 0 , n o 2 6 9 ) . T h e c o m p a r i s o n o f t h e s e t w o h e a v i l y v o l u t e d w o r k s c a n l e a v e n o d o u b t o f t h e i r c o m m o n o r i g i n , o r i n s p i r a t i o n , b u t w h e t h e r t h i s w a s i n S c o t l a n d o r I r e l a n d i s l e ss c l e a r ( b e l o w ) .

73

too km zoomorphic pins I

Figure 77a. Distribution of objects belonging to, or influenced by, Irish earlier Iron Ages 1 and 2 in northern Britain, b. Distribution of early

- zoomorphic penannular brooches and zoomorphic pins.


I I I D I S C U S S I O N Objects from Irish earher Iron-age 1, which we would place within the last two centuries B C and perhaps into the 1st century A D , and which have their main concentration in mid Co. Antrim, are found in two north British 'streams' (map, fig 77a). The first is northwards amongst the inner Western Isles and up to the Orkneys, and consists of two ring-headed pins, a spear-butt and the moulds for at least two others. The known contexts are two brochs and a vitrified fort, neither inconsistent with the proposed date range of the material. The other 'stream' is in southern Scotland/northern England, where we have two Irish pins and a set of horse equipment, though the last, we have argued, only passed through northern Ireland. We might note that the High-Knowes cremation within a ring-ditch, though puzzling to Jobey and Tait (1966) within the burial traditions of the British early Iron-age, would be quite acceptable in Ireland, where the Ring-barrow and cremation seem to be the normal rites for E I A 1. We might also observe that the ritual (?) deposition of the Torrs pieces on the north-eastern shore of Mackinder's British 'Mediterranean', after its mending on the north-western shore, is paralleled on the southern shore by the ritual deposit at L lyn Cerrig Bach in Anglesey containing at least two Irish E I A 1 objects (Fox 1946, 44-5). We may also note, in the middle of the British 'Mediterranean' (and well placed in relation to the Solway Firth distribution) the Irish E I A 1 (or copy of) ring-headed pin from Ballacagen A (phase I) in the Isle of Man (Bersu 1977, 60-1 & fig 19, A 42). I will make no attempt to discuss the place of these Irish intrusions in Scotland in the context of the north British pre-Roman Iron-age, except that the High-Knowes burial and the Dunagoil and Dun Mor Vaul moulds show that trade was not the most likely mechanism of their arrival. I would add that the ceramic assemblage from these latter sites has no counterpart in Ireland.

From E I A 2 we have (map, fig 77a) a single object from the Western Isles (Bac Mhic Connain), locally made but with strong Irish traits, and paralleled most closely in the main area of intrusion. This is into the south Scottish lowland plain, between the Clyde and the Forth. In the Ayr plain, abutting the area of E I A 1 intrusion, but not overlapping with it, we have an Irish scabbard with hints of local influence (the chape lobe), a possible sword, a mirror-handle identical in general form to that from North Uist, and an Irish-style decorated bone comb. Inasmuch as one can date the Irish material, a 1st or 2nd century A D date would be appropriate for these objects, and the local contexts, two crannogs producing early Roman objects, are not inconsistent with this. Two offshoots are apparent (and I use the term strictly in a distributional sense, without implying an actual relationship). One follows the valleys of the Clyde and Tweed into the Berwick plain, and contains the Walston sphere, thematically Irish but technically and structurally difficult to place if we are disallowed the 'Pictish' stone balls, and the Stichill collar, a British work partially decorated by an Irish craftsman. The date proposed for the collar on British evidence, either side of A D 100 (eg Macgregor 1976, 99-101), is consistent with the general date of E I A 2 material, indeed this is a case where the Scottish object could help us to narrow down the dates of our Irish material. The other


' o f f s h o o t ' i s i n L o t h i a n , t h e S e a c l i f f e c o m b a n d t h e T r a p r a i n s i l v e r b a r , b o t h f r o m e a r l y ' R o m a n ' c o n t e x t s .

T h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h i s E I A 2 m a t e r i a l i s n o t a b l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h a t o f E I A 1 , f r o m t h a t o f t h e p r o v i n c i a l R o m a n o - B r i t i s h o b j e c t s ( m a p s i n M a c g r e g o r 1 9 7 6 & S t e v e n s o n 1 9 6 6 , fig 4 ) , f r o m t h a t o f t h e p r o d u c t s o f t h e ' p r o t o - P i c t i s h ' s c h o o l ( s ) ( S t e v e n s o n 1 9 6 6 , fig 5 ) , a n d f r o m t h e g e n e r a l m a p o f s e t t l e m e n t a p p r o p r i a t e t o t h i s t i m e (ibid fig 6 ) o r t o t h e w h o l e I r o n - a g e ( R i v e t 1 9 6 6 , l o o s e m a p ) . I t i s a l s o d i s s i m i l a r t o t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n s o f I r i s h l a t e r B r o n z e - a g e i m p o r t s ( C o l e s 1 9 6 0 , m a p s 5 & 7 ) , b u t s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f t h e I r i s h ' D u n g i v e n ' b r o n z e s o c k e t e d a x e s (ibid, m a p 9 ) . I t i s r e a s o n a b l y c o m p a r a b l e t o t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f R o m a n finds ( o t h e r t h a n c o i n s ) o f t h e 2 n d c e n t u r y f r o m n o n - R o m a n s i t e s ( R o b e r t s o n 1 9 7 0 , fig 2 ) , a n d w e n o t e i n p a r t i c u l a r t h a t ( e x c e p t f o r t h e c l e a r l y l a t e r N o r r i e s L a w d e p o s i t ) o u r m a t e r i a l s t r i c t l y a v o i d s c r o s s i n g t h e A n t o n i n e l i n e i n t o ' p r o t o - P i c t i s h ' t e r r i t o r y . T h e A n t o n i n e l i n e i s a l s o c l e a r as t h e n o r t h e r n b o u n d a r y o f t h e R o m a n o - B r i t i s h m a t e r i a l a n d n e a r l y as c l e a r l y t h e s o u t h e r n b o u n d a r y o f t h e ' p r o t o - P i c t i s h ' o b j e c t s a n d m o n u m e n t s . T h e w a y t h a t t h e R o m a n o - B r i t i s h m a t e r i a l , p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e g l a s s b a n g l e s ( S t e v e n s o n 1 9 7 6 , fig 2 ) , f a l l s o f f i n q u a n t i t y i n t h e A y r p l a i n , c o n t r a s t i n g w i t h t h e E I A 2 m a t e r i a l , i n c r e a s e s t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n a l i m p a c t o f t h e l a t t e r , a n d t h e s o u t h - w e s t S c o t t i s h d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e R o m a n I r o n - a g e c r a n n o g s , t w o a s s o c i a t e d w i t h E I A 2 m a t e r i a l , s e e m s t o e n h a n c e t h i s a p p a r e n t c u l t u r a l d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e w e s t a n d eas t l o w l a n d p l a i n .

A n u m b e r o f t h e E I A 2 o b j e c t s , as w e h a v e s e e n , s h o w s i g n s o f l o c a l m a n u f a c t u r e , o r a r e n o t t o b e p a r a l l e l e d t y p o l o g i c a l l y i n I r e l a n d , a n d a n u m b e r a r e o f m a t e r i a l u n l i k e l y t o b e w o r t h y o f b e i n g t r a d e d . T w o o f t h e o b j e c t s a r e o f s i l v e r , o f w h o s e u s e i n I r e l a n d i n E I A 2 I a m u n a w a r e . T h e y a r e o f d i f f e r e n t s u b - s t y l e s o f E I A 2 a r t , a l t h o u g h t h e r e i s n o r e a s o n w h y t h i s s h o u l d b e s i g n i f i c a n t ( c f t h e h a n d l e s a n d p l a t e s o f B r i t i s h m i r r o r s ) . W e r e c a l l R o b e r t s o n ' s o b s e r v a t i o n ( 1 9 6 1 , 1 3 1 ) o n t h e d e s i r e o f t h e n o r t h B r i t o n s f o r s i l v e r , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e e a r l y R o m a n p e r i o d , a n d i t s a v a i l a b i l i t y i n t h e i n t r a m u r a l a r e a w o u l d b e g o o d r e a s o n f o r i t s u s e b y e n t e r p r i s i n g m e t a l w o r k e r s . I t i s c l e a r t h a t t h e u s e o f s i l v e r f o r l o c a l o r n a m e n t a t i o n ( i n a s t y l e d e s c e n d e d f r o m E I A 2 , b e l o w ) w a s w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d i n S c o t l a n d i n s u b - a n d p o s t -R o m a n t i m e s ( S t e v e n s o n 1 9 5 6 ) , a n d a l t h o u g h t w o e a r l y a n d o n e l a t e R o m a n s i l v e r h o a r d f o u n d t h e i r w a y t o t h e I r i s h n o r t h - e a s t e r n a r e a o f E I A 2 ( see b e l o w ) , I t h i n k i t m o s t l i k e l y t h a t t h e T r a p r a i n a n d N o r r i e s L a w p i e c e s w e r e m a d e i n e a s t e r n S c o t l a n d , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n v i e w o f t h e i r m u t u a l p r o x i m i t y .

A l t h o u g h a f e w a r t i s t s a n d c r a f t s m e n could a c c o u n t f o r t h e E I A 2 m a t e r i a l , t h e o p e n i n g s f o r p e r i p a t e t i c c r a f t s m e n a m o n g s t p e o p l e w e l l s e r v e d b y t h e i r o w n w o r k s h o p a n d b y t h e m a s s - p r o d u c e d R o m a n m a t e r i a l w o u l d s e e m t o m e t o b e v e r y l i m i t e d . T h e d e s i r e f o r t h e p a r t i c u l a r s t y l e s o f E I A 2 w o u l d h a r d l y b e s t r o n g a m o n g s t p e o p l e w h o s e o w n s t y l e s w e r e c e r t a i n l y n o t i n f e r i o r , a n d w e m i g h t s u r e l y c o n s i d e r t h a t o n l y a m o n g s t t h e i r o w n c o u n t r y m e n w o u l d o u r a r t i s t s ( w h o s e p r o d u c t s w e r e i n f e r i o r t o t h o s e o f t h e h o m e l a n d ) h a v e f o u n d a r e a d y m a r k e t . F o r t h i s r e a s o n I s u g g e s t t h a t t h e i n t r u s i v e e l e m e n t i n l o w l a n d S c o t l a n d i n t h e e a r l y R o m a n p e r i o d c o n s i s t e d o f s e t t l e r s a n d c r a f t s m e n , w h o s e n u m b e r s , t h o u g h u n l i k e l y

I r e l a n d , U h l c r and Scotland i n the l u u l i c r I r o n Age 173

JO have been large enough for the intruders to have given the tribal name of 'Damnonii' to the western area (O'Rahilly 1946, 94), were not negligible. Whatever the numbers involved, their mainlv peaceful nature can hardly be doubted, indeed ,we wonder if they might have had a welcome, or oOlcial, place amongst the buffer stales south of the Antonine line. It is very tempting to recall the Irish prince who sought refuge with Agricola in about A D 80 after a rebellion at home, and wonder whether he might have been part of this intrusion { A g r i c o l a , cap 24). In any case 1 must leave it to others to discuss the place of such people within the fluctuating politics of the northern boundary. In 1976 (280) 1 discussed the problem of the two late 2nd century hoards in the E I A 2 area of north Antrim (map, fig 75b), and rejected the explanation of British refugees from the insurgents (on the grounds of their unlikeliness to flee to Ireland) in favour of 'proto-Pictish' refugees from the Roman readvance with their loot or peace-price. However, our identification of an Irish element in lowland Scotland puts this into a ditTerent perspective, tor the flight into Ireland of Irish refugees from the northern incursion is quite reasonable (indeed it would be surprising were there not such hoards in northern Ireland). Clearly other explanations incorporating the Irish are possible, such as involvement in the various late 2nd century rebellions, and in any case it is hardly necessary to refer to political disturbance to explain the flow of wealth back to Ireland (we will discuss reflux further below).

.'\lthough the only dated contexts for Irish E I A 2 material and influences in Scotland suggest an early Roman horizon, it must be remembered that few of the 'associations' or contexts are reliable, often being from unsatisfactory 'excavations' of multi-period sites. The tendency has been to put E I A 2 material in Ireland into the first two centuries A D , but if the links, not just with the British pre-Roman Iron-age at one end, but with the Irish later Iron-age at the other are to be maintained, the material ought to be drawn out to cover the first four centuries. 1 will explore elsewhere the proposition that these intramural settlers were the Scots who were such a problem to the province in the 3rd and 4th centuries, as 1 will the evidence for their dispersal in the late Roman period to southern Britain, Ireland and the Northern Isles.

The objects, and infiuences, which I have designated E I A 2 are those which I believe to be so clear that the hand of an Irish craftsman in their production may be taken as highly probable. There is, however, another group of material in which the E I A 2 influences may be detected, but which are not so certainly significant. At Crichie, Aberdeenshire, was found a bronze-knobbed spear-butt of the flared-socket variety (M no 177), with a 'massive' or 'Donside' terret argued (Macgregor 1976, 47-48) to belong to the 2nd or 3rd centuries. This spear-butt type is extremely

-•common in Ireland (Rafiery forthcoming), although it has neither distinctive traits nor associations by which we can place it into one or other earlier Iron-age phase. It is a simple type of object, to which strictures against typological comparisons may well apply, especially as three fragmentary moulds for the type came from the 2nd or 3rd century A D levels at Traprain Law, East Lothian (M nos 182-84). Nevertheless, the p r i m a facie conclusion of an Irish origin for the type might still be


c o r r e c t , c o n s i d e r i n g t h e e v i d e n c e f o r t h e p r e s e n c e o f E I A 2 c r a f t s m e n w h i c h w e h a v e a d d u c e d ( i n c l u d i n g T r a p r a i n L a w ) . T h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e C r i c h i e b u t t i s i n t e r e s t i n g , f o r i t b r i n g s u s w i t h i n ' p r o t o - P i c t i s h ' t e r r i t o r y , n o r t h o f t h e A n t o n i n e w a l l , i n t o t h e a r e a o f a d i s t i n c t i v e a s s e m b l a g e o f m e t a l w o r k m o s t l y , i f n o t c o m p l e t e l y , p a r t o f M a c g r e g o r ' s ' S c h o o l D ' o f n o r t h e r n b o s s - s t y l e ( 1 9 7 6 , 1 8 4 ) . T h e ' D o n s i d e ' t e r r e t s h a v e a d o u b l e - l i p m o u l d i n g f o r m a l l y r e m i n i s c e n t o f t h e c h a p e s o f P i g g o t t ' s ( 1 9 5 0 ) g r o u p I V ( ' B r i g a n t i a n ' ) s w o r d s . B u t m o s t o f t h e m h a v e a b o u t t h e l i p m o r e t h a n a h i n t o f t h e E I A 2 d u c k - b e a k ( e g M n o 1 1 7 , C u l b i n S a n d s ) . A g a i n f r o m t h i s a r e a ( b e t w e e n t h e F o r t h a n d t h e M o r a y F i r t h ) a g r o u p o f finger-rings ( M n o s 2 5 7 , 2 5 9 - 6 1 ) c a r r y a p a i r e d l o b e o n e a c h s i d e o f t h e f a c e b e t w e e n i t a n d t h e r i n g . T h e p r o b a b l e o r i g i n o f t h i s ( E I A 1/2 c o m p a r a b l e ) l o b e i s i l l u s t r a t e d i n fig 7 8 . T w o d u c k - h e a d s , d e v e l o p e d as i n t h e z o o m o r p h i c b r o o c h ( b e l o w ) , i n c l u d i n g p a i r e d l o b e s , a r e s e e n o n a s t r a n g e o b j e c t f r o m t h e C u l b i n S a n d s , M o r a y ( M n o 2 8 9 ) w i t h t w i n n e d t r u m p e t s l i n k i n g i t i n t o t h e b o s s - s t y l e . T h e s t r o n g s i m i l a r i t i e s b e t w e e n t h e n o r t h e r n b o s s - s t y l e o f s c h o o l D a n d t h e I r i s h b o s s - s t y l e o f E I A 2 ( b o t h o f w h i c h s h a r e a c o m m o n o r i g i n ) h a v e b e e n n o t e d b y S i m p s o n ( 1 9 6 8 , 2 5 1 ) , a n d t h e c o n t a c t b e t w e e n t h e s c h o o l s i s c o n f i r m e d n o t j u s t b y t h e ' h e a v y ' a r m l e t f r o m N e w r y , C o . D o w n ( A n d e r s o n 1 8 8 3 , fig 1 3 5 ) , b u t a l s o b y w h a t i s s u r e l y a s k e t c h o f t h e C u l b i n S a n d s ' s n a k e ' b r a c e l e t ( M n o 2 1 4 ) , o r i t s k i n , o n a L o u g h c r e w p l a q u e ( C r a w f o r d 1 9 2 5 , fig 8 ) , a n d (as B R a f t e r y h a s p o i n t e d o u t t o m e ) a p o o r s k e t c h o f t h e o p e n w o r k s e c t i o n o f t h e L o c h a r - M o s s , D u m f r i e s s h i r e , c o l l a r ( M n o 2 0 4 ) o n a n o t h e r L o u g h c r e w p l a q u e ( C r a w f o r d 1 9 2 5 , fig 2 0 ) . B u t t h e f o l l o w i n g p o i n t s m u s t b e m a d e . T h e v a r i a n t s t y l e s o f E I A 2 d o n o t a p p e a r i n S c h o o l D , o r i t s a r e a , a n d a p a r t f r o m t h e L o u g h c r e w p l a q u e s a n d t h e N e w r y a r m l e t , t h e o b j e c t t y p e s o f S c h o o l D a n d d i s t i n c t i v e m o t i f s s u c h as t h e s a l t i r e a n d t h e s w a s h - N d o n o t a p p e a r i n E I A 2 . I t s e e m s t o m e t h a t w h a t e v e r t h e l i n k , t h e y m e t d i r e c t l y o n l y i n s o u t h e r n S c o t l a n d , w h e r e t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n s o v e r l a p .

T h e z o o m o r p h i c p i n ( F o w l e r 1 9 6 3 , ' E ' p i n ) u s u a l l y h a s a r e t u r n e d s t e m - b i t i n g d u c k - b e a k b e l o w a flat, c i r c u l a r , s o m e t i m e s e n a m e l l e d h e a d ( K i l b r i d e - J o n e s 1 9 3 7 , fig 3 ) . I t s floruit s e e m s t o h a v e b e e n d u r i n g t h e 2 n d a n d p e r h a p s 3 r d c e n t u r i e s A D ( B o o n 1 9 7 5 ) , a n d i t i s c o m m o n l y f o u n d o n R o m a n m i l i t a r y s i t e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y o n H a d r i a n ' s w a l l . T h e e a r l y z o o m o r p h i c p e n a n n u l a r ( E Z P ) b r o o c h ( w i t h cas t t e r m i n a l s ; K i l b r i d e - J o n e s 1 9 3 7 , ' d e v e l o p e d ' f o r m s a n d s o m e o f c l a s s A ; F o w l e r 1 9 6 3 , s o m e o f c l a s s E l , c l a s s E , a n d s o m e o f F l ) h a s , l i k e a f e w z o o m o r p h i c p i n s , a p a i r o f l o b e s ( ' e y e s ' ) b e t w e e n t h e b e a k a n d t h e h e a d , a n d a p a i r o f s m a l l ' e a r s ' a t t h e b a c k o f t h e h e a d . T h e i m m e d i a t e i n s p i r a t i o n f o r t h e b r o o c h i s u s u a l l y t a k e n t o b e t h e s m a l l R o m a n o - B r i t i s h p e n a n n u l a r b r o o c h w i t h c r i m p e d t e r m i n a l s ( K i l b r i d e -J o n e s ' s ' i n i t i a l ' f o r m ; F o w l e r ' s D 4 , 5 ) , e n l a r g e d f o r a h e a v i e r n o r t h e r n c l o a k .

- W h a t e v e r t h e f u n c t i o n a l i n s p i r a t i o n , t h e o r i g i n o f t h e z o o m o r p h i c t e r m i n a l c a n , 1 b e l i e v e , b e o p e n t o l i t t l e d o u b t . I n fig 7 8 I s h o w w h a t I b e l i e v e t o b e i t s l i k e l y d e v e l o p m e n t f r o m t h e E I A 2 d u c k - h e a d , a t o r n e a r T r a p r a i n L a w i n ( j u d g i n g b y t h e ' s t r a t i g r a p h y ' o f t h a t s i t e — W a r n e r f o r t h c o m i n g ) a r o u n d t h e 3 r d c e n t u r y ( e x a m p l e s : K i l b r i d e - J o n e s 1 9 3 7 , n o s 3 , 5 , 8 ) .

S o m e t i m e s , b u t b y n o m e a n s a l w a y s , t h e E I A 2 s t e m - b i t i n g d u c k - b e a k h a s a l o b e


handle-. Co.Antrim bit: Ireland e.z.p. brooch. Traprain Law

CI B.C.-CI A.D. C1B.C-C1AD. C2-3 A.D. alter Jope after Raftery alter Kilbride-Jones

not to scale

Figure 78, The evokj t ion of the tormirial of the early zoomorp fnc ponannular brooch f rom the Irish EIA 2 duck-head .

(almost certainly derived from the angle lobe of E I A 1) between the beak and the head. Rather than show the straightforward development of the lobeless E I A 2 head to the zoomorphic pin form, I illustrate instead the rather more spectacular extreme form in which the lobe is not onlv present, but is also split. It will also be seen that the pairing of the lobe, by squeezing the centre, happened already in Ireland. The Ballybogey mirror handle is an early (1st century AD) example of E I A 2 boss-style (ill Jope 1954b, fig 2.2). The Irish horse-bit illustrated, in which the lobe is paired as well as being split (Raftery 1974), is an E I A 1 form, whose remarkable decoration seems to be pre-boss-style, though a 1st century date seems likely. The E Z P brooch illustrated, from Traprain Law (Cree 1924, 277 & fig 21; from R l ) , probably dates to the 2nd or 3rd century A D . The distribution of the brooches (fig 77b) and our demonstration of the existence of E I A 2 metalworkers and artists in southern Scotland, including possibly at Traprain Law, makes that area quite acceptable for its invention.

IV R E F L U X (map, fig 75b) The surprisingly small amount of Roman and Romano-British material in Ireland has recently been re-appraised (Bateson 1973; 1976; Warner 1976) and the concentration of objects in the extreme north-east noted (to those published more are added and discussed below). The Irish E I . ' \ material and influences in Scotland lie on the northern limit of a complex of central British metalwork of the earlier Roman period, including the 'knobbed' and 'platform' terrets, 'derivative' three-link horse-bits (all, Macgregor 1976, ch 4), and 'trumpet' brooches. A British 'platform' terret has been found in Co. Antrim (Jope 1950, 59). Curiously the large number of horse-pieces in the Irish assemblage, and the good evidence for chariotry


( G r e e n 1 9 7 2 ; H a w o r t h 1 9 7 1 f o r d i s c u s s i o n a n d o t h e r r e f e r e n c e s ) a r e n o t m a t c h e d b y a n y I r i s h t e r r e t s , s o P i g g o t t ( 1 9 4 9 , 1 9 2 ) i s s u r e l y r i g h t t h a t t h e f o u r h o r i z o n t a l h o l e s p i e r c i n g a h o r s e - y o k e , p r o b a b l y f r o m n o r t h e r n I r e l a n d , p e r f o r m e d t h e s a m e f u n c t i o n . W i t h o u t , t h e r e f o r e , e i t h e r t e r r e t s o r t h e n e e d f o r t h e m , t h e i m p o r t a t i o n o f a B r i t i s h t e r r e t w o u l d m a k e l i t t l e s e n s e w i t h o u t t h e i m p o r t a t i o n o f , o r l o c a l c o n s t r u c t i o n o f , a B r i t i s h - s t y l e c h a r i o t . I f t h e f o r m o f t h e e l o n g a t i o n o f t h e c l a s s E h o r s e - b i t ( H a w o r t h 1 9 7 1 ) m i g h t h a v e c o m e f r o m t h e ' t r u m p e t ' b r o o c h ( W a r n e r 1 9 7 6 , 2 7 0 ; a n ' S i ' t r u m p e t b r o o c h h a s b e e n f o u n d i n n o r t h e r n I r e l a n d , L e e d s 1 9 3 3 , f i g 3 0 d ) , t h e idea o f e l o n g a t i o n o f t h e s i d e l i n k s f o r d i s p l a y p u r p o s e s i s p a r a l l e l e d b y t h e ' d e r i v a t i v e ' t h r e e - l i n k B r i t i s h b i t .

A ' S a n t o n ' t y p e o f c a u l d r o n h a s c o m e f r o m a b o g n e a r B a l l y m o n e y ( A r m s t r o n g 1 9 2 3 , 2 5 ; m a p , f i g 7 5 b , n o 8 ; t h e r e a r e e x t e n s i v e t r a c t s o f b o g h e r e ; a n o t h e r ' S a n t o n ' c a u l d r o n c a m e f r o m t h e g r e a t b o g o f A l l e n , C o . K i l k e n n y ) . A l t h o u g h t h e r e w e r e n o r e c o r d e d a s s o c i a t i o n s , o n e m i g h t b e f o r g i v e n f o r r e c a l l i n g t h e f a s h i o n i n t h e i n t r a m u r a l a r e a o f s o u t h e r n S c o t l a n d , i n t h e e a r l y R o m a n p e r i o d , o f b u r y i n g h o a r d s o f m e t a l w o r k , n o t i n f r e q u e n t l y i n c a u l d r o n s o f t h i s t y p e ( M a n n i n g 1 9 7 2 ; P i g g o t t 1 9 5 3 ) , a n d i n a n y case t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e c a u l d r o n t y p e ( P i g g o t t 1 9 5 3 , 1 8 ) m a k e s a l o w l a n d S c o t t i s h o r i g i n f o r t h e B a l l y m o n e y o n e n o t a t a l l u n l i k e l y . T h e s a m e a r e a o f n o r t h A n t r i m , w i t h i n t h e c l u s t e r o f E I A 2 , c o n t a i n e d t h e t w o s i l v e r c o i n h o a r d s o f t h e l a t e 2 n d c e n t u r y , a l r e a d y d i s c u s s e d . I t m i g h t b e r e l e v a n t t h a t t h e n o r t h e r n , a n d b e s t r e c o r d e d o f t h e s e h o a r d s ( m a p , f i g 7 5 b , 7 ) , w a s w i t h i n a v e r y s h o r t d i s t a n c e o f D i i n S o b h a i r c h e , w h i c h a p p e a r s as t h e ' s t r o n g h o l d ' o f t h e g o d d e s s M d r r i g a n i n t h e e a r l y t a l e ' T a i n B o C i i a i l n g e ' ( e . g . T B C , l i n e s 1 7 9 3 , 4 0 6 2 ) , a n d as a c a p i t a l o f t h e D a l R i a d a i n t h e l a t e r 1s t m i l l e n i u m A D , a n d i s u s u a l l y i d e n t i f i e d w i t h a c l i f f - p r o m o n t o r y w i t h l a t e M e d i e v a l r e m a i n s ( L a w l o r 1 9 4 0 , 3 ) .

I n m i d - A n t r i m , w i t h i n t h e a r e a o f E I A 1 i s a s m a l l g r o u p o f o b j e c t s t h a t m i g h t r e l a t e d i r e c t l y t o s o u t h - e a s t S c o t l a n d . T h e y c o n s i s t o f a n e a r l y z o o m o r p h i c p e n n a n u l a r b r o o c h o f B r i t i s h t y p e f r o m T o o m e ( K i l b r i d e - J o n e s 1 9 3 7 , n o 1 5 ) , a g l a s s b e a d f r o m a c a c h e i n a c a i r n i n t h e h i l l - f o r t a t L y l e s H i l l ( E v a n s 1 9 5 3 , 5 7 , & fig 2 4 , 7 6 ) c l o s e l y p a r a l l e l e d b y a b e a d f r o m a 2 n d - c e n t u r y l e v e l a t T r a p r a i n L a w ( C r e e 1 9 2 4 , 2 6 9 & fig 1 7 , 6 ) , a n d a ' b r a c e l e t ' f r o m C l o g h ( u n p u b l i s h e d , i n t h e U l s t e r M u s e u m ) , w h i c h s e e m s t o b e a r a r e d a r k - b r o w n v a r i a n t o f t y p e 3 o f t h e B r i t i s h b a n g l e s , a n a l m o s t e x c l u s i v e l y s o u t h - e a s t S c o t t i s h a n d n o r t h - e a s t E n g l i s h t y p e ( S t e v e n s o n 1 9 7 6 b , f o r l a t e s t d i s c u s s i o n a n d r e f e r e n c e s ) . W i t h r e g a r d t o t h e s e m i d -A n t r i m finds w e m i g h t n o t e t h a t t h e e n a m e l l e d E I A 1 r i n g - h e a d e d p i n can b e t a k e n as a p o s s i b l e o r i g i n f o r t h e z o o m o r p h i c p i n w h o s e m a i n d i s t r i b u t i o n a l c l u s t e r i s n o t f a r a w a y f r o m H i g h - K n o w e s ( a b o v e ) . I t w a s a l r e a d y p s e u d o - z o o m o r p h i c , a n d s i m p l i f i e d a t t h e h a n d s o f a c r a f t s m a n o f t h e ' d u c k - b e a k ' s c h o o l c o u l d e a s i l y r e s u l t i n t h e z o o m o r p h i c p i n .

A t t h e m o u t h o f t h e r i v e r R o e , i n C o . D e r r y , w a s f o u n d t h e B r o i g h t e r h o a r d , i n c l u d i n g t h e d e c o r a t e d c o l l a r . A t t h e h e a d o f t h e v a l l e y o f t h e R o e a r e t h e f r a g m e n t a r y r e m a i n s o f a v i t r i f i e d f o r t , d e s c r i b e d i n c . 1 8 3 5 ( M c C l o s k e y et al), a n d r e d i s c o v e r e d v e r y r e c e n t l y b y t h e w r i t e r ( m a p , fig 7 5 b , n o 2 ; p l a n , fig 7 9 ) . T h e s t o n e - b u i l t f o r t , o n t h e e d g e o f a s t e e p s c a r p , m e a s u r e d , b e f o r e a l m o s t c o m p l e t e

I r e l a n d , Ulster and Scotland i n the E a r l i e r I r o n Age |77

A surviving stone txink o lumps of vltrifaction • vitrified core found c. 1830

RW 197?

Figure 79 Vitr i f ied fort at Banagfier Glebe, Dung iven , Co, Derry,

destruction over 100 years ago, about 70 by 80 metres. Vitrification was found in 1835 to be present only at the centre of the rampart, and large fragments of vitrified matter still lie on its site. A small group of Roman finds is described in the same source as coming from within a few miles of the fort, which though not now available seem to have included two early Roman base coins (Carn townland and Feeny village, McCloskey et a l 1835). The third find, from a hill (Caugh Hill) only a mile south of the fort, was a small bronze Mercury figurine of a rare type, with


w i n g s o n h a n d s , f e e t a n d h e a d a n d a r a i s e d l e g {ibid). C o m p a r a b l e e x a m p l e s c o m e f r o m B r i s t o l ( T o y n b e e 1 9 6 4 , 7 3 , n o 1 ) a n d , p e r h a p s m o r e r e l e v a n t l y , f r o m P e r t h ( A n o n 1 9 3 7 , 9 3 - 9 4 & f i g 2 ) . T h e i m p l i c a t i o n o f t i m b e r - l a c i n g p r e s e n t e d b y t h i s ' B a n a g h e r G l e b e ' f o r t ( M a c K i e 1 9 7 6 f o r s u m m a r y d i s c u s s i o n o f v i t r i f i e d f o r t s ) , t h e o n l y p r o v e n e x a m p l e o f v i t r i f i c a t i o n i n I r e l a n d , i s s u p p o r t e d b y t h e r e c e n t d i s c o v e r y i n t h e w r i t e r ' s o w n e x c a v a t i o n s a t C l o g h e r , C o . T y r o n e , o f t h e r e m a i n s o f a c r u d e l y t i m b e r - l a c e d s t o n e r a m p a r t , d a t i n g t o s o m e t i m e b e t w e e n t h e 6 t h c e n t u r y B C a n d t h e 5 t h c e n t u r y A D .

W i t h i n t h e a r e a w i t h w h i c h w e a r e d e a l i n g a r e t w o s t o n e r i n g - f o r t s w i t h i n t r a m u r a l p a s s a g e s . O n e ( A l t a g o r e , C o . A n t r i m , m a p , n o 8 ; L a w l o r 1 9 4 0 , 1 6 ) i s a v e r y s m a l l c i r c u l a r ' c a s h e l ' ( f i g s 8 0 , 8 1 ) o n t h e n o r t h - e a s t c o a s t . T h e o t h e r ( f i g s 8 0 , 8 1 ) , o n a h i g h r o c k o u t c r o p i n t h e S p e r r i n m o u n t a i n s , i s a n i r r e g u l a r ' c a s h e l ' w i t h l o w e r , s u b s i d i a r y e n c l o s u r e s ( ' G i a n t ' s S c o n c e ' , S c o n c e , C o . D e r r y ; m a p , n o 3 ; P e t r i e 1 8 3 4 , fig 3 ) . T h e r e a r e s o m e g r o u n d s f o r b e l i e v i n g t h i s t o b e t h e ' p r e h i s t o r i c ' f o r t , D i i n D a B e n d , r e f e r r e d t o i n t h e ' T a i n B o C i i a i l n g e ' { T B C , l i n e s 3 7 8 7 , 3 8 1 3 , 4 0 9 7 ) , a n d d e s c r i b e d as b e i n g b u r n e d i n a l a t e o l d - I r i s h t a l e a l s o a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e ' U l s t e r C y c l e ' ( C C C , s e c t i o n 2 2 ; I a m g r a t e f u l t o M r s D F l a n a g a n f o r t h i s r e f e r e n c e ) . T h e r e a r e s l e n d e r g r o u n d s f o r b e l i e v i n g i t t o b e t h e D u n C e i t h i r n n b u r n e d i n 6 8 1 {AU, sub anno 6 8 0 ) . F r o m a m o u n t a i n s o u t h - w e s t o f t h i s f o r t c o m e s a ' b e a d e d ' p i n ( m a p , n o 5 ; S m i t h 1 9 1 3 , fig 1 0 ) , w h i c h s h o u l d b e l o n g s o m e w h e r e i n t h e l a t e R o m a n p e r i o d a n d w h o s e d i s t r i b u t i o n i s p r e d o m i n a n t l y n o r t h B r i t i s h ( F o w l e r 1 9 6 3 , 1 2 2 - 2 3 ) . F r o m a s h o r t d i s t a n c e eas t o f t h e S c o n c e c o m e s t h e e a r l y 5 t h c e n t u r y h o a r d o f R o m a n h a c k s i l v e r a n d i n g o t s f r o m B a l l i n r e e s ( B a t e s o n 1 9 7 6 , 4 2 - 4 3 w i t h r e f e r e n c e s ; m a p , n o 4 ) . F r o m t h e p l a i n o f t h e B a n n , s o u t h - e a s t o f t h e f o r t ( m a p , n o 6 ) , c o m e s a p a i n t e d p e b b l e ( B r i g g s 1 9 7 6 ) p o s s i b l y o f a t y p e f o u n d i n t h e e x t r e m e n o r t h o f S c o t l a n d a n d N o r t h e r n I s l e s a n d b e l i e v e d t o b e l o n g t o t h e e a r l i e r 1s t m i l l e n i u m A D ( R i t c h i e 1 9 7 2 ) . T h e s t o n e r i n g - f o r t ( ' c a s h e l ' ) o n G r e e n a n M o u n t a i n , I n i s h o w e n , C o . D o n e g a l ( m a p , n o 1 ) , h a s e x t e n s i v e i n t r a m u r a l pa s sages , a n d i s s u r r o u n d e d b y t h r e e l i n e s o f s l i g h t , w i d e - s p a c e d e a r t h b a n k s ( f i g s 8 0 , 8 1 ) ( P e t r i e 1 8 3 7 ; t h e f o r t h a s s i n c e b e e n e x t e n s i v e l y ' r e n o v a t e d ' ) . I t i s u s u a l l y , t h o u g h n o t n e c e s s a r i l y c o r r e c t l y , i d e n t i f i e d as ' A i l e c h ' , c a p i t a l o f t h e C e n e l E o g a i n f r o m a r o u n d t h e 6 t h c e n t u r y A D u n t i l i t s d e m o l i t i o n i n l l O l { A U , sub anno 1 1 0 1 ) . O t h e r e x a m p l e s o f c a s h e l s w i t h i n t r a m u r a l p a s s a g e s a r e d i f f i c u l t t o find, as t h e r e c o g n i t i o n o f t h i s f e a t u r e i s d e p e n d e n t o n t h e r i g h t d e g r e e o f d e s t r u c t i o n o r r e n o v a t i o n t o u n c o v e r e i t h e r t h e p a s s a g e o r i t s e n t r a n c e . A fine e x a m p l e , n o w a l m o s t d e m o l i s h e d ( f i g 8 1 ) , h a s b e e n d e s c r i b e d a t C a h e r n a m a c t i r e c h , D i n g l e , C o . K e r r y ( D u N o y e r 1 8 5 8 , 9 - 1 1 ) , a n a r e a c o n t a i n i n g o t h e r s i t e s o f S c o t t i s h i n t e r e s t ( b e l o w ) . T h e r e s e e m s t o b e a case f o r c o m p a r i n g t h e I r i s h s t o n e r i n g - f o r t s w i t h i n t r a m u r a l pas sages w i t h t h e g r o u n d - g a l l e r i e d d u n s o f w e s t e r n S c o t l a n d . U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h e r e s e e m s t o m e t o b e a g r e a t d e a l o f c o n f u s i o n a b o u t t h e t y p o l o g y a n d c h r o n o l o g y o f t h e S c o t t i s h s i t e s . H a m i l t o n ( 1 9 6 6 ) a r g u e d t h a t t h e S c o t t i s h g a l l e r i e d d u n s w e r e a n c e s t r a l t o t h e b r o c h s , a n d p r e d a t e d t h e R o m a n p e r i o d . F a i r h u r s t ( 1 9 7 2 , 1 2 1 ) o b s e r v e d t h a t t h e a c t u a l e v i d e n c e f r o m e x c a v a t i o n s u g g e s t s j u s t t h e o p p o s i t e . I t s e e m s n o t u n l i k e l y t h a t b o t h a r e r i g h t , a n d t h a t t h e t y p e flourished o v e r a t l e a s t t h e first s e v e n c e n t u r i e s

I r e l a n d , Ulster and Scotland m the E a r l i e r I r o n Age


Figure 8 1 . Irish stone forts with intramural passages and chambers.


of the 1st millenium A D . In Ireland no examples have been excavated, the most comparable dated site being Leacanabuaile, Co. Kerry (6 Riordain & Foy 1941), which, with its chambered wall (fig 81), belonged to well within the later Iron-age (Early Christian period). It is tempting to compare the idea of the intramural passage with the souterrain wholly, or partly, within the bank in a number of Irish earthen ring-forts (eg Warhurst 1971). Neither Irish souterrains nor ring-forts have yet been satisfactorily shown to predate the 5th century A D . The dating of the galleried forts in Ireland and Scotland is, therefore, rather ill-defined, and there is no positive objection on chronological grounds for a connection between the sites of both countries. That some form of cultural connection existed from the 7th century A D is illustrated by the number of object types common to Irish and Scottish sites of that period, but this is a feature of the time all round the Irish Sea. As Young pointed out, combs from the galleried Dun Cuier, and other Hebridean sites, have close Irish parallels (Young 1956, 316), but her comparison of the later pottery with the northern Irish souterrain ware {ibid, 311) is now dismissed (Ryan 1973, 629). The possibility of the spread of the fort type from Scotland as late as the 7th century is not impossible, and only the tentative identification of the northern Irish examples with places mentioned in 'early' literature suggests an earlier date for these sites. The fine promontory fort of Dunbeg, Dingle, Co. Kerry (Du Noyer 1858, 2-4; Westropp 1910, 267-74), with its wall-galleries, bar-holes and doorway guard-chambers (fig 82), is very closely comparable to both the semi-brochs of the Hebrides and the gate-honse forts of the Northern Isles (containing features of both, cf MacKie 1965), which would suggest an earlier Iron-age date, but again some of the features of Dunbeg, such as the bar-hole below the gallery, the latter opening into the entrance, are found at Kildonan dun, Kintyre, apparently dating to the later 1st millenium A D (Fairhurst 1939). Recent excavations at Dunbeg failed to solve the problem of its date, but it must be said that the fine souterrain under its entranceway may be held to imply an Irish dimension, and a late date. The 'Giant's Sconce', with its lower subsidiary enclosure(s), is paralleled by the Borgue of Castlehaven, Kirkcudbrightshire (Barbour 1907), for which a date in the late Roman period is indicated by the finds.

V P O S T S C R I P T The spread southwards, into southern Britain, and northwards to the Northern Isles, of the zoomorphic brooches and pins is beyond the scope of this paper, and I must admit that the possible part of Irishmen in their spread and development, as opposed to their invention, is very difficult to assess. A small number of brooches and greater number of pins are found in Ireland, and the further development of the type in Ireland seems to suggest a continued Irish interest in their spread. We must leave this for another occasion, for it takes us out of the north of Britain. Recalling the strange zoomorphic object from the Culbin Sands, and the 2nd- or 3rd-century contact implied between the lowland Scottish-Irish craftsmen and the northern school D , we might consider the mould for an escutcheon from Craig-Phadrig in Inverness (ill Stevenson 1976b, fig 2). Stevenson (1972, 50) rightly notes the


«iiimmu!nnin„,nmn,,„mN\-̂ ^//frinw, ^ ^ U l l l l J l i j J i j i u i i J i i J j j j j / / / ^ ^ ! ^

Wmmr r>ir, - ^ z , V / / , .

DUNBEG Co. Kerry

after Westropp s soulerrain

STAIGUE Co. Kerry schematic

txjsed on Valla nee y

Figure 82. Two Co. Kerry stone forts wit l i Scottish features.

s i m i l a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e z o o m o r p h i c h o o k , a n d w o u l d a d d t h e p a i r e d l o b e s b e l o w t h e n e c k , o f t h i s a n d s i m i l a r e s c u t c h e o n s a n d t h e z o o m o r p h i c b r o o c h e s . T h e I r i s h c o n n e c t i o n i s s t r e n g t h e n e d b y t h e c l e a r l y E I A 2 d e r i v e d , fine-line, c r e s t e d b i r d - h e a d d e c o r a t i o n o n t h e i d e n t i c a l e s c u t c h e o n f r o m t h e r i v e r B a n n , n e a r C o l e r a i n e ( H e n r y 1 9 4 8 ) . T h e B a n n e s c u t c h e o n w a s f o u n d w i t h i n t h e a r e a o f E I A 2 , a n d as I h o p e t o


show on another occasion, was decorated in northern Ireland, and as Stevenson (1972, 51) notes, demonstrates the strong artistic connection between northern Ireland and eastern Scotland around the time of Columba. Nevertheless there is a good case that the type, and even the Bann example (before decoration) originated in eastern Scotland out of the mixed Irish-Scottish traditions of that area (I use the term 'Scottish' geographically, to refer to the native people of what is now Scotland). The same origin seems likely for the decorated silver hand-pins of the same eastern Scottish area, between the Forth and the Moray Firth. The three pins bear fine-line decoration with eyed-lobe ended spirals (Stevenson 1964, pi xi), the lobes slightly bird-like on that from Gaulcross. They are of silver, which ties them to the fine-line Traprain silver bar, and the Norries Law plaque, the same hoard containing two of the pins. We are also struck by the two bronze 'swivel-rings' from the islands of Tiree and North Uist (Stevenson 1976, fig 2b, c) whose zoomorphic features can hardly be unconnected to the developed E I A 2 lobed duck-head on the penannular brooches. Compare particularly that from Tiree with fig 78. We should recall that a duck-head/lobed E I A 2 object came from North Uist, as may have an early zoomorphic penannular brooch (Close-Brooks & Maxwell 1974, no 958). A local workshop, again with E I A 2 derived traditions, seems inescapable for the swivel-rings.

V I C O N C L U S I O N S Two main phases of Irish infiuence, and settlement, have been identified, each of which may itself be complex. The first, during the last two centuries B C , was into the Northern and Western Isles, and into the extreme south of Scotland. The second was mainly into lowland Scotland, and seems to have been during the first two centuries A D . From these intrusions a number of indigenous artistic developments can be traced, with later movement into the Northern and Western Isles and into southern Britain, and the participation of craftsmen in 'proto-Pictish' and Pictish art and metalwork. The final return to Ireland of these people will be explored elsewhere, but a number of objects in the north of Ireland may well represent the earlier connections of the migrants with the homeland. It is possible that certain features in fortification in Ireland, particularly in the north and in Co. Kerry, might also be due to refiux, either from the E I A 1 group in the Scottish Islands, or the later group via the Islands. There are indications (which will not be explored here) in the early Irish literature and 'origin' legends that a number of Irish groups in the 'proto-historic' period spent some time in Britain, but I will end with only one such reference. One of the founders of Ailech (a passaged stone-fort, above), Frigriu, is described in a late old-Irish source as a craftsman {cerd, the usual meaning is metalworker), and as a plunderer, or reaver (foglaid), from south-east Pictland (Cruthmaige C t ) ( M D , 96, 1.61 ff; 106, 1.61).

Acknowledgements I am indebted to Dr B Rafiery for general discussion on topics covered by this essay.


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Note. This essay is based on material published prior to 1977. Since then further published work amplifies, but does not significantly change, the conclusions I have drawn.

Ulster, Ireland and Scotland in the Iron Age

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