Description

Summary: 1 miniature bronze knife with three rivet holes found with primary cremation in Twin Disc Barrow Wimborne St. Giles G8, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Bronze Age knife blade excavated by William Cunnington from the twin disc barrow Wimborne St. Giles G8. The dagger was found with the primary cremation of the western mound of the two mounds; other grave goods include the remains of an amber necklace, and a lost bronze awl. Small daggers such can't be dated as precisely as their larger counterparts, however assuming that they follow a similar development this dagger is propbably relatively early in the Bronze Age series, but not the earliest, being butt-rivetted rather than tanged.

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.