[TheForge] anvil construction

[jon.sloan]

All:
I have an old anvil, I am not sure how old it is but it must be from
about the turn of the century - it was my wife's grandfathers.  It is
not very large, about 50 to 70 pounds. I am a novice at smithing and a
bit ago there was a thread on repairing anvils so I thought I would ask
about its construction.  Its top, flat, surface (about 1/2 inch) is
different from the rest and does not extend into the horn - you can see
a seam.  Does this means that the horn is of a different material,
possibly softer, than the top flat area? Is this typical construction?
Also there are holes on the bottom and lower back (not round but then
not square either)- what are these for? Thanks for your time and
expertise.

Jon