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The following is taken from an excellent piece of work by Mr H Hindle, Colne historian, from his 'Pre-History - Colne & Surrounding Areas' published in the Pennine Magazine in the late 1970s-early 1980s. To quote Mr Hindle "A bronze-Age dagger or spearhead was found in 1845 about two and a half feet from the surface in a field about halfway between Burnley and Colne in the Catlow district. The dagger had a narrowed tange with a rivet hole and was just over 9 inches in length, the tange was three inches long and at its greatest width the dagger measured one and a half inches". The spear's collar was not found. It seems this spear was, in fact, found underneath the forecourt of Catlow Row as those cottages were being built in that very same year. Mr Hindle goes on to say "tanged daggers are extremely rare, being known chiefly from the Arreton Down deposit, Isle of Wight".
Drawing of the Catlow Bronze-Age spear by J.Wilcock.
Then the author goes on to explain the finds at Catlow. "The most interesting discovery, a burial site, was made at Catlow stone quarry in March 1854" by Captain Sagar's workmen. Hindle goes on to say that "two or three earthenware urns were met with a little below the surface when clearing earth for the flagstone rock". "The urns [probably collared Pennine type] were perfect and measured 14 inches in depth and 9 inches in diameter at the mouth, with considerable swelling at the centres". He says "they are formed of very course earthenware unglazed and very slighly baked". "The urns contained calcined bones, pieces of charcoal, and soft dark earth". "Most of the bones, supposedly human, are mixed with others belonging to a horse and some lesser animals". Only one of the urns survived due to rough handling by the quarry workers at Catlow who damaged the urns with their picks; one of these urns was Middle Bronze-Age in date, the other two were considered to be food vessels. Hindle says that "a rude piece of flint was found amongst the bones, but from its decayed state, it is not easy to determine whether it had been an arrowhead". "Two ivory bodkins were found at the same time; they were exceedingly friable, either from age or having been subjected to the action of a fire before being deposited into the urns".
In more recent times, probably 1954, another urn was dug up from beneath the stone forecourt at the front of Catlow Row. This was considered to be very similar to those found at Catlow quarry close by. This urn remains buried where it was found (in situ).
Drawing of the Catlow Bronze-Age spear by J.Wilcock.
Then the author goes on to explain the finds at Catlow. "The most interesting discovery, a burial site, was made at Catlow stone quarry in March 1854" by Captain Sagar's workmen. Hindle goes on to say that "two or three earthenware urns were met with a little below the surface when clearing earth for the flagstone rock". "The urns [probably collared Pennine type] were perfect and measured 14 inches in depth and 9 inches in diameter at the mouth, with considerable swelling at the centres". He says "they are formed of very course earthenware unglazed and very slighly baked". "The urns contained calcined bones, pieces of charcoal, and soft dark earth". "Most of the bones, supposedly human, are mixed with others belonging to a horse and some lesser animals". Only one of the urns survived due to rough handling by the quarry workers at Catlow who damaged the urns with their picks; one of these urns was Middle Bronze-Age in date, the other two were considered to be food vessels. Hindle says that "a rude piece of flint was found amongst the bones, but from its decayed state, it is not easy to determine whether it had been an arrowhead". "Two ivory bodkins were found at the same time; they were exceedingly friable, either from age or having been subjected to the action of a fire before being deposited into the urns".
In more recent times, probably 1954, another urn was dug up from beneath the stone forecourt at the front of Catlow Row. This was considered to be very similar to those found at Catlow quarry close by. This urn remains buried where it was found (in situ).
Last edited by Sunbright57 on Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:01 pm; edited 11 times in total
