A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE The palstave latest found is also among the most interesting (fig. i6). 'A bronze palstave was found in February, 1905, under gin. of soil about five miles to the north-west of Rochdale, at about 900 ft. above ordnance datum, during the excavations of the Ashv^orth Moor Reservoir, and is novvr in the possession of the Board in their offices at Heywood near Manchester. The implement is encrusted with various salts of copper and is of an olive- green colour. It measures 5^ in. in length, with a maxi- mum breadth of 2tV in. across the blade. There is a well- marked stop 3 J in. from the anterior extremity of the blade. The ridged wings are continued as moulding on the face of the blade, but curved in a contrary direction so as to enclose a space below the stop ridge, thus producing a semi-elliptical ornamentation. The thickness of the metal at this point is i in., whereas it is f in. above the stop ridge. The sides are slightly concave and are roughly diamond shape, measuring If in. across at their maxima. There is a slightly defined transverse ridge 2I in. from the anterior extremity. The joint of the two moulds in which it was cast can be traced upon the sides of the instrument, and appears as if one of the moulds had been somewhat deeper than the other. There is no loop.' ^ A further palstave, of simple type, with well-preserved edge, is said to have been found in excavating for a reservoir in 1884 at CantClough, which is 3 J miles north-east of Burnley. Bronze palstaves are reported also from Egbert Dean, Sharpies, and from Weeton in the Fylde, but descriptions are wanting. Fig. 16. — Bronze Palstave from AsHwoRTH Moor. 3. Bronze Socketed Celts Five examples of socketed celts preserved in the museum at Warrington well illustrate the varieties of this class of implement found within the county. Four of them indeed come from the same site, Winmarleigh near Garstang, in North Lancashire, where two finds, possibly from the same source, dis- closed eight socketed celts with two spears and a dagger of bronze, which constitute by far the most striking deposit of the age. These objects are all preserved in the same museum : they are illustrated by photograph on Plate V., and are described together in connexion with the spears in Section 4. The first sketch, fig. 17, shows the simplest of these celts, without rim or decoration. The imple- ment is hollowed to receive the handle, and is provided with a loop whereby to attach it to the staff. It is 2^ in. in length, if in. across the mouth, and if in. across the edge at its widest point. This celt was found with the dagger and two other celts at Winmarleigh, as described in the next section. Fig. 17. — Plain Socketed Celt FROM Winmarleigh. 2 ; 3. 1 From MSS. of Mr. W. Baldwin, by courtesy of Mr. W. H. Sutdiffe. 232
