The bronze age and the Celtic world - Universal History Library

THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEAF-SHAPED SWORD 89
Now that the tang for the hilt had been cast in one piece with the blade, and
the attachment of the hilt no longer depended solely on the row of rivets at the butt of the
blade, there was no necessity^ for this butt to be of so great a breadth. As a result we
find in Type B the butt has become approximately semi-circular, with the horizontal
and vertical radii equal. The flange on the sides of the tang remained, though in some
cases it became hghter and not so sharply modelled. The blades of this tj^e usually
diminish gradually from below the butt to the point, but occasionally we find a slight
broadening of the blade into the true leaf-shaped form. The numerous parallel grooves
of Type A disappear, and in their place appear a few, generally three, narrow grooves,
very close together, parallel to both sides of the blade, and dividing it into three almost
equal strips. Towards the butt these grooves bend outwards to the edge, forming an
almost perfect quadrant. Sometimes these grooves are combined into one, and result
in sharp lines dividing the blade into three ; in these cases the central third is much thicker
than the two sides, and the section is not unhke that of a spear-head. Occasionally
we find these parallel fines entirely absent, and the blade sloping to a median ridge,
thus forming in section a rhomboid with concave sides ; this variant is more common
in the north, and seems to be a later local development.
Types C and D are at first sight very much alike, but a close examination of the
critical part will explain the difference. We have seen how in passing from Type A to
Type B the horizontal radii diminish until they equal the vertical ; in Type C the
vertical has increased until it exceeds the horizontal, and an oval butt has developed.
The curves in this case seem to be nearly if not exactly those of an eUipse. The flanges
on the tang are still present, but tend to disappear before reaching the point at which the
butt passes into the blade. The blades of this t37pe sometimes retain their parallel
sides, but more often the breadth expands, usually about halfway between the butt
and the point. The fines of parallel grooving are tending to disappear ; they have
been reduced as a rule to a single line on either side, and although these are sometimes
found in the same position as in Type B, dividing the blade vertically into three equal
strips, it is more often the case that these fines have been moved nearer to the edge,
which in some cases they approach as close as fifty miUimetres. The blades in this
t5^e are relatively flat and thin, but the thickness diminishes considerably
outside the parallel fines. These fines, in fact, are only indications of the place