Glenfield

NS43NW 50 c. 42 36

In March 1914 what was identified as a paddle was found at a depth of 5'4" (1.6m) below the surface, and about 191 yards (175m) from the contemporary course of the River Irvine, when gravel was being dug on the land of Messrs. Glenfield and Kennedy, most probably in the area around the present gasworks to the S of Kilmarnock. It was presented to the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock, where it remains in store.

The object is of wood which has suffered from splitting during drying, and measures 0.86m in length; a roughly-squared shaft of side about 30mm and cut transversely across the end accounts for 0.59m of this. This shaft continues down the centreline of one side of the blade and terminates with a point about 90mm from the end of the blade itself, which is formed as a roughly-equilateral triangle abutting onto a rectangle; the sides curve slightly upwards towards the shafted side. The other surface of the blade is flattened and less regular in shape.

The form of the object differs considerably from that of other Scottish paddles and the asymmetry between the ventral and dorsal surfaces is particularly noticeable. Its size and shape are roughly comparable with that of the two ard-heads that were found during peat-digging at Dale Water, Virdi Field, Dunrossness, Shetland in 1965 (HU41NW 10) and have been tentatively dated to the Iron Age. The Glenfield 'paddle' was, therefore, more probably an ard-head which (on the basis of its lack of wear) had seen little use.

R Munro 1919; R J C Mowat 1996, visited December 1987.

Information from Dick Institute, Kilmarnock, museum display label.