dagger

The Middle Bronze Age (c1,500 to 1,250 BC) was a period of experimentation and innovation in the art of metalworking. New object forms continued to appear. In 2002 a highly unusual example of a class of weaponry known as the dirk was discovered at Rudham, in west Norfolk

This massive bronze blade is one of the most spectacular prehistoric objects ever discovered in Britain. Despite its form, it could never have been used as a weapon. Indeed, it was never intended to be functional and represents a link to important social activities taking place in the east of England.

Dirks were normally short stabbing weapons, fitted with handles which were secured in place by metal rivets. The principal difference in the Rudham dirk is its enormous size; three times the length of a normal stabbing dirk. This had clearly not been made for practical reasons but was intended for ceremonial use.

Another, similarly massive, dirk was discovered at Oxborough, also in west Norfolk, in 1988. The two Norfolk ceremonial dirks, which are known as the Plougrescant-Ommerschans type, are comparable to just four other known examples from Europe. There are two each from France and Holland. It is the Dutch connection which is most intriguing, suggesting early cultural links between Norfolk and this part of the Continent, while also possibly indicating shared similar ideologies and beliefs between these prehistoric communities.