Description

Summary: 1 bronze knife dagger with flat central midrib and hollows on each side (broken across - ritually?) found under inverted urn with primary (?) cremation in bowl barrow Knook G1a, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Bronze Age copper alloy small dagger or knife found with the primary cremation of bowl barrow Knook G1a; it had been deposited in an inverted urn. This was the first of a very large number of barrows which William Cunnington would excavate over the course of the first half of the 19th century, with his most famous excavation being that of the Bush Barrow grave. The knife itself was found in two pieces and was perhaps intentionally broken prior to burial.

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.