Description

Summary: 33 small bronze rivets, 1 large rivet, a small bronze hook, 2 fragments of wood with a bronze fragment attached, and a fragment of copper found with a primary male inhumation (near head) in Bowl Barrow Wilsford G5, excavated by William Cunnington. Probably the remains of a Series 2 dagger, although the large rivet and hook-shaped pin are probably not accosiated with the rest.

Research results

A large group inluding a collection of 33 rivets, wood and copper alloy fragments which were found to the south of the primary inhumation at Bush Barrow (Wilsford G5) by William Cunnington in 1808. These have been variously interpretted as a helmet, shield or theolodite over the years however recent analysis suggests that they belong to a small dagger with a studded hilt. Each of the rivets is double headed suggesting they clamped somethiing together and many and a central groove, possibly caused by wear from a thin copper alloy blade. Comparable daggers include an example from Milston G51, Wiltshire, and are of a type (series 2) which dates to the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age transition (2200-1900 BC), a date suported by the relatively pure copper of the single analysed rivet. Crucially, this is around a few centuries earlier than the other material in the grave and suggests Cunnington may have failed to recognise an earlier burial disturbed by the richly furnished one! In addition are a large rivet and a hooked pin, apparently found in the same grave, but without a detailed find spot. The small hook or crozier shaped pin is unlikely to be associated with this dagger, and it may actually be the 'brass pin' which was described as holding the copper alloy cap onto the polished stone macehead. The large rivet is consistent with those seen in early bronze age daggers in terms of both its form and metalurgical composition, but curiously is later than the rest of the Bush Barrow assemblage. Without a detailed find spot, it is possible the rivet is actually from a different grave entirely and that it became mixed in with the rest soon after discovery.

The Bush Barrow grave is discussed in detail by Needham et al. (2010), who return to Cunnington and Hoare's original notes and publications in order to reassess recontructions of the primary inhumation's layout. They argue for a more typical crouched inhumation, led on its left side, and possition the grave goods accordingly based on Cunnington's descriptions. Their new reconstruction highlights the distance of a small group of rivets and fragments from the rest of the group. Previously interpretted as a helmet or alidade, they reinterpret these as the remains of a dagger with a studded hilt, typical of a period earlier than the rest of the assemblage and suggesting the burial may have disturbed an earlier inhumation.

This object was examined as part of the research published in Ritual in Early Bronze Age Grave Goods; a six-year research project carried out by Professor John Hunter and Dr Anne Woodward and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Aided by a large number of other specialists the pair undertood an exhuastive study examining over 1000 objects held in 13 museums across the country in order to provide an extensive overview of burial practices in the period and identify regional practices.