Description

Summary: 1 bronze knife dagger with four rivets, 3 grooves and a central area decorated with dots (part of its wooden handle also remains attached) found with primary cremation in Bowl Barrow Wimborne St Giles G20, excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

A Bronze Age copper alloy dagger excavated by William Cunnington from bowl barrow Wimborne St Giles G20. The dagger was found with a primary cremation deposited in an urn with a bundle of linen and a bone point. Although unusual in having 4, rather than the more typical 3 rivets, the dagger is of a form dated to c. 1750-1500 BC. It is decorated with a series of punched dots along the central expanded section of the blade, called 'pointille' decoration.

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.