The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . amples of this rare class of primitive decorated weapons, fromvarious localities, are preserved in the British Museum. These incisedlines are supposed by many to have been designed for use as well asornament, and several allusions, by ancient Iiish writers, to the em-ployment of poisoned weapons by the Celtic natives,are referred to in confirmation of the probabilitythat the indented patterns were wrought on theaxe-blade to adapt it for retaining the poison withwhich it was anointed preparatory to the rarity of the occurrence of
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . amples of this rare class of primitive decorated weapons, fromvarious localities, are preserved in the British Museum. These incisedlines are supposed by many to have been designed for use as well asornament, and several allusions, by ancient Iiish writers, to the em-ployment of poisoned weapons by the Celtic natives,are referred to in confirmation of the probabilitythat the indented patterns were wrought on theaxe-blade to adapt it for retaining the poison withwhich it was anointed preparatory to the rarity of the occurrence of such incised linesmilitates in some degree against this theory ; butit will be seen hereafter that other devices of morefrequent adoption may have answered the samebarbarous and deadly purpose. Class IV. includes a variety of the implementsto which archaeologists are now generally agreed inapplying the old Scandinavian term Paalstab, or its recently adopted ArcliKological Journal, vol. iv. p. 328 ; vol. vi. p. 410. Archfeologia, vol. xxxi. p. WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS. 255 English synonyme, Palstave, originally designating a weapon employedin battering the shields of the foe. Their general characteristics partakemore of carpentering tools than of weapons of war, but in this, as in manyother instances, it is difficult to draw the distinction with any certainty,where the objects might be of equal avail for both purposes. The pal-stave consists of a wedge, more or less axe-shaped, having a groove oneach side, generally terminating in a stop-ridge, by means of which itwas united to a cleft haft, and with projecting lateral ridges, designedstill farther to secure its hold on the handle. Various improvementson the primitive form have obviously been suggested by woodcut represents a fine example in the Museum of the ScottishAntiquaries, found on the farm of Kilnotrie, parish of Crossmichael,in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The original measures 6| inchesin length.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidarchaeologyp, bookyear1851
