Fig. 442.—Africa.
To return to the trumpets from Cork described in the “Vetusta Monumenta.” Two of these are formed, like Fig. 440, of two pieces, and are open at the end, which may have been provided with some kind of mouth-piece. The other, like Fig. 439, is cast in a single piece and is closed at the small end, but has a large orifice at the side like the Portglenone specimen Fig. 444. Both are provided with a number of conical projections by way of ornament round the mouth, and one of them has similar small spikes in other positions. With them were found some pieces of straight tubing, which were also decorated in a similar manner. The horn with the side aperture is provided with a ring for suspension, like Fig. 439. Some of the straight tubes have a sliding ferrule upon them also furnished with a ring.
Sir W. Wilde observes of a horn about 24 inches long with the aperture at the end slightly everted, as if for holding the lips, that it requires a great exertion even to produce a dull sound with this instrument. As to those with lateral apertures 2 inches long on the average, and 1¼ inches wide, he says that “it is not possible by any yet discovered method of placing the lips to this mouth-hole to produce a musical sound; but, as conjectured by Walker in 1786, these instruments might have been used as speaking-trumpets, to convey the voice to a great distance as well as render it much louder.”
Fig. 443.—Derrynane.
In one instance of a trumpet, like Fig. 439, being broken across the mouth-piece, it has been repaired by a process of burning together, like that adopted in the case of broken swords[1381] previously mentioned. The mended portion is shown in Fig. 443,[1382] borrowed from Wilde. This trumpet was found at Derrynane, Co. Kerry.
A trumpet, broken across the middle and mended in a similar manner, formed part of the “Dowris find,” from which a number of specimens are preserved in the British Museum,[1383] and others are in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. The metal of which most of the articles in this hoard are formed has a peculiar golden lustre which is thought to arise from the admixture of a certain proportion of lead. A horn analyzed by Donovan[1384] gave:
| Copper | 79·34 |
| Tin | 10·87 |
| Lead | 9·11 |
| ——— | |
| 99·32 |
The find took place at Dowris, near Parsonstown, in King’s County, and comprised, besides trumpets and socketed celts, a casting for a hammer-head, a socketed knife, tanged knives, razors, a broad rapier-shaped dagger-blade, broken swords, a dagger formed from a part of a sword, spear-heads both leaf-shaped and with openings in the blade, vessels of thin bronze, rough metal, some rattles or crotals, such as will shortly be mentioned, a pin with a hook somewhat like a crochet-needle, and some rubbing stones for grinding and polishing. There may have been other articles, but those here mentioned are represented in the portion of the hoard now in the British Museum. The association of trumpets with such a series raises the presumption that some of them at least belong to the close of the Bronze Age proper.