ABSTRACT
The eighth century and the beginning of the seventh was again a time of change throughout the Old World. Two major events, the Assyrian conquest of Syria and Palestine and the ravages of the Cimmerians in Asia Minor, brought considerable upheaval to western Asia (cf. Hencken 1968, .597–8). In central Europe the Late Bronze Age (Hallstatt B) was ending and the first phase of the Iron Age (Hallstatt C) was commencing (Müller-Karpe 1959; Kossack 1959). In north-western France and south-eastern England the Wilburton/Saint-Brieuc-des-Iffs industry was being replaced by the Carp's Tongue Sword Complex (Evans 1930; Savory 1948; Burgess 1968c, 17ff.; 1974, 210). Like its predecessor this industry is characterized by large founders’ hoards and its leading metal types are carp's tongue swords, an insular form of the flange-hilted sword with leaf-shaped blade (the Ewart Park type), bag-shaped chapes, plain leaf-shaped spear-heads, hog's back knives, triangular perforated knives, bugle-shaped objects, winged axes and socketed gouges. The carp's tongue sword industry had a Late Urnfield background (i.e. winged axes) but it represents regional development on both sides of the English Channel. Outside the kernel carp's tongue sword area of Britain industries were influenced by the ‘carp's tongue sword complex’ and the Late Urnfield period.
