Object: Blade (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1600 to -1000)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Holt, Wiltshire, Wiltshire ()
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 66.3 mm
Weight: 13.3 g
Description: Bronze Age bronze blade, probably of Middle Bronze Age date



The blade is incomplete, with some peripheral damage and distortion (with a distorted surviving length of 66.3mm and a weight of 13.3g). The hilt had straight and parallel or near-parallel sides (with a width of 21.1mm) and the top edges are angled to meet at the centre. The two rivet holes were circular (with a diameter of 4.5mm) and one is open at the side. The hilt is thinnest at the butt and thickens at a point above the rivet holes, where the midrib is discernible as a ridge. The midrib widens beneath the rivet holes and produces a maximum thickness at the top of the blade (of 3.8mm). The better preserved side suggests that there is a step from the hilt to the blade edge (where the blade has a width of 18.0mm). The blade edges were probably straight or near-straight and converge towards the break. The midrib narrows slightly towards the break and is very slightly convex across its width on the blade, with the blade facets being gently concave. The blade is thinner at the break or tip (at 1.5mm). Much of the damage to the blade edge is likely to be post-depositional but it is possible that some of the notches may have resulted from use or deliberate damage. The surface has a dark-green to brown patina with areas of pale green corrosion. There are no discernible sharpening striations on the blade.


It is possible that the blade is an eroded dirk, although it would be comparatively small and the hilt arrangement is a little unusual. It is also possible that the blade has been reworked from a larger dirk or rapier. Dirks are present throughout the Middle Bronze Age, with the earliest examples of Acton Park metalwork, dated from c. 1600-1400BC and continue through to Willburton metalworking dated to c. 1150-1000BC, corresponding to Needham's (1996) Periods 5 - 6. This example is more likely to date from the later part of the suggested range.
Notes: Analysis to ascertain the elemental composition of the artefacts was carried out using a CamScan MaXim 2040 analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM), plus an Oxford Instruments Link Isis energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). The objects were examined whole within the specimen chamber and were analysed for 100 live seconds using a working distance of 35mm and an accelerating voltage of 20kV. The results are semi-quantitative and overall totals taken from minimally prepared surfaces are usually affected to some degree by the surface geometry of the artefacts, including factors such as curvature, pitting and indentations etc. Other factors that can also affect the results include surface oxidation, surface enrichment or depletion of certain elements, contamination from closely adhering dirt, and preferential corrosion. 

Three separate readings were taken and the majority of the overall totals acquired were slightly low due to the factors described above. The results were normalised to 100% to obtain consistency between the readings and to make the analyses comparable with other results the average compositions were: 81-89 % copper, 8-12 % tin, 1-2 % antimony and less than 1 % lead. The comparatively high level of antimony, if correct is unusual and may suggest a date later than the early Bronze Age. Comparable levels of antinomy have been found in Later metal work, such as in a number of items in the Guilsfield Hoard, characterised as Wilberton metalwork. All of the Early Bronze age daggers published by Gerloff (1975, p 167-8) have lower levels of antimony. However, the very low levels of lead would be unusual in Late Bronze Age metalwork.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder