DOI issue:
Vol. VI : 3 1990
DOI article:Brady, Niall D. R.: Early ard pieces in Finnish museums
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49003#0173
EARLY ARD PIECES IN FINLAND
163
examine 31 of the c. 100 pieces1 and in no case
were wear striae of any form evident.
Wooden ardheads (Figs. 7-9)
Form
Finland has two ardheads, Nos. 3-4 (see
figs. 7, 8 and 9). The writer was unable to ex-
amine either of them. No. 4 from Pernid-
Paarskyla however, is already well published
(Glob 1951, 47-49; Steensberg 1976), but
No. 3 from Osterby in the parish of Karjaa is
not. Both pieces are carved from a single
piece of wood and comprise the actual ard-
head and an appending length of the stilt.
They conform in type to examples found
over a wide area, from Ireland and Britain to
Denmark and Sweden, which represent the
working parts of bow ards (Glob 1951, 113-
118; Rees 1979, 42). In overall length Nos. 3
and 4 are slightly short, but in actual ardhead
dimensions they compare favourably: No. 3
is 615 mm in overall length and the ardhead is
85 mm wide. No. 4 has a total length of 790
mm, of which 380 mm is taken up by the
ardhead, which in turn is 80 mm wide. These
compare with 1465, 335 and 135 mm in the
Fig. 7. Wooden ardhead No. 3 Karjaa-Osterby.
Mus. No. KM16159 (after Suomen Historia 312). □
Holzernes Hakenpflughaupt Nr. 3 Karjaa-
Osterby (nach Suomen Historia 312).
Dostrup ard: 945, 85 and c. 95 mm in the
Donneruplund example; 1240, 295 and 133
mm for the Milton Loch piece; and 920, 225
and 155 mm for the example from Ardcon-
nell, Co. Sligo (NMI SA 1928: 408), the
shortest of the extant Irish pieces (based on
Rees fig. 45). One of the most interesting sets
of data which ardheads can yield is informa-
tion on wear, which in turn, like the stone
shares, can indicate the angle of set and meth-
ods of operation. Because these pieces could
not be located, this analysis was not under-
taken. Although Glob noted signs of “pro-
longed use” on No. 4, he did not elaborate
(Glob 1951, 49, 116). Nor is it known how the
slight hollow on the dorsal surface of the ard-
head was formed; whether by deliberate tool-
ing to fit the bar share (as on the Milton Loch
piece), or through wear from the share being
continually pressed onto the ardhead.
A variety of bow ard types exist, the differ-
ences being based on the arrangement of the
working parts. The simplest, seen perhaps
best in the Dostrup and Hendriksmose ards
(Glob 1951, 37-44; Hansen), comprise a bar
share placed onto an underlying ardhead, the
two fitted through the beam-hole. The more
complex varieties include an intervening ar-
row-shaped share which comes between the
bar share and ardhead, as seen in the Donne-
ruplund ard (Glob 1951, 29-34), the ardhead
then reducing in dimensions to a small thick-
ended stump. It is not readily apparent at
what end of the scale the Karjaa example be-
longs, but the massiveness of the Paarskyla
piece and the bar share “trace” on its dorsal
surface, suggests in this case a Dostrup-like
arrangement.
The rectangular hole in the stilt close to the
ardhead of No. 4 has attracted attention
(Steensberg 1976, 269). Glob was unsure as to
its function and suggested two possibilities:
to accommodate a tightening wedge to secure
the head in place with the beam, or to hold a
163
examine 31 of the c. 100 pieces1 and in no case
were wear striae of any form evident.
Wooden ardheads (Figs. 7-9)
Form
Finland has two ardheads, Nos. 3-4 (see
figs. 7, 8 and 9). The writer was unable to ex-
amine either of them. No. 4 from Pernid-
Paarskyla however, is already well published
(Glob 1951, 47-49; Steensberg 1976), but
No. 3 from Osterby in the parish of Karjaa is
not. Both pieces are carved from a single
piece of wood and comprise the actual ard-
head and an appending length of the stilt.
They conform in type to examples found
over a wide area, from Ireland and Britain to
Denmark and Sweden, which represent the
working parts of bow ards (Glob 1951, 113-
118; Rees 1979, 42). In overall length Nos. 3
and 4 are slightly short, but in actual ardhead
dimensions they compare favourably: No. 3
is 615 mm in overall length and the ardhead is
85 mm wide. No. 4 has a total length of 790
mm, of which 380 mm is taken up by the
ardhead, which in turn is 80 mm wide. These
compare with 1465, 335 and 135 mm in the
Fig. 7. Wooden ardhead No. 3 Karjaa-Osterby.
Mus. No. KM16159 (after Suomen Historia 312). □
Holzernes Hakenpflughaupt Nr. 3 Karjaa-
Osterby (nach Suomen Historia 312).
Dostrup ard: 945, 85 and c. 95 mm in the
Donneruplund example; 1240, 295 and 133
mm for the Milton Loch piece; and 920, 225
and 155 mm for the example from Ardcon-
nell, Co. Sligo (NMI SA 1928: 408), the
shortest of the extant Irish pieces (based on
Rees fig. 45). One of the most interesting sets
of data which ardheads can yield is informa-
tion on wear, which in turn, like the stone
shares, can indicate the angle of set and meth-
ods of operation. Because these pieces could
not be located, this analysis was not under-
taken. Although Glob noted signs of “pro-
longed use” on No. 4, he did not elaborate
(Glob 1951, 49, 116). Nor is it known how the
slight hollow on the dorsal surface of the ard-
head was formed; whether by deliberate tool-
ing to fit the bar share (as on the Milton Loch
piece), or through wear from the share being
continually pressed onto the ardhead.
A variety of bow ard types exist, the differ-
ences being based on the arrangement of the
working parts. The simplest, seen perhaps
best in the Dostrup and Hendriksmose ards
(Glob 1951, 37-44; Hansen), comprise a bar
share placed onto an underlying ardhead, the
two fitted through the beam-hole. The more
complex varieties include an intervening ar-
row-shaped share which comes between the
bar share and ardhead, as seen in the Donne-
ruplund ard (Glob 1951, 29-34), the ardhead
then reducing in dimensions to a small thick-
ended stump. It is not readily apparent at
what end of the scale the Karjaa example be-
longs, but the massiveness of the Paarskyla
piece and the bar share “trace” on its dorsal
surface, suggests in this case a Dostrup-like
arrangement.
The rectangular hole in the stilt close to the
ardhead of No. 4 has attracted attention
(Steensberg 1976, 269). Glob was unsure as to
its function and suggested two possibilities:
to accommodate a tightening wedge to secure
the head in place with the beam, or to hold a