Daggers and dagger hilt mount

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The bronze dagger with gold hilt mount pictured on the left was found at Collessie in Fife. The bronze dagger shown in the middle was found at Drumlanrick near Callander in Perthshire. The flint dagger was found at Crawford Moor in Lanarkshire.

The blade from Collessie is damaged, but when complete with its gold hilt, would have been an impressive weapon. The Crawford Moor dagger is a flint copy of a tanged copper dagger.

The use of ostentatiously 'bigger and better' weapons and tools, or ones with precious metal fittings, was an important way of emphasising status during the Bronze Age.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-035-676-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.EQ 53
• Date: Bronze daggers: between 2200 and 1960 BC; dagger on right: 2500-2000 BC
  
• Material: Bronze
  Bronze; tapering; with rivets
  Flint, mottled grey
  Gold
  Blade
  Dagger
  Dagger
  Hilt mount, dagger
  
• Dimensions: 4.50" L
  6.85" x 2.10"
  
• What: Blade
  Dagger
  Dagger
  Hilt mount, dagger
  
• Subject:
• Who: Grierson Collection, Thornhill Museum
  Mrs W. Harkness (Gave object To Dr Grierson)
  
• Where: Scotland, Fife, Collessie
  Scotland, Fife, Collessie
  Scotland, Lanarkshire, Crawford, Glenochar
  Scotland, Perthshire, Callander, Drumlanrick
  
• Event:
• Description: Bifacial dagger of mottled grey flint copying tanged copper dagger, from Glenochar, Crawford Moor, Lanarkshire
  Tapering bronze blade with rivets, from a cist at Drumlanrick
  Bronze dagger found among burnt bones in the gravel under the base of a cairn at Collessie, Fife
  Gold dagger hilt mount from Collessie, Fife
  
• References:
  • Coles, John M. Scottish Early Bronze Age metalwork. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 101 (1968-9), 1-110, esp. pp 42-50, 90. 
• Translations:
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