Description

Summary: 1 flat bronze knife dagger with three rivet holes, bevelled edges and slightly hollows on either side of the centre, found with a primary cremation in a wooden box in Bowl Barrow Wilsford G56, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Bronze Age copper alloy knife blade, excavated by William Cunnington from the Wilsford G56 bowl barrow in the early 19th century. The knife was found with the primary cremation burial of the barrow, alongside a larger dagger of late Early Bronze Age date (c. 1750-1500 BC) to which fragments of a wooden sheath have become affixed. Small knife blades such as this probably developed along similar lines to their larger counterparts, but types appear to have remained in use for longer periods of time and they cannot be dated as precisely. In addition to the other dagger were also found a pair of bone tweezers and a pin.

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.