Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: WAW-3B927C
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a copper alloy Middle Bronze Age dirk (small rapier) dating to the period c.1500 - 1150 BC found in 2 adjoining pieces. The break between the two pieces is probably recent and reveals a slightly purple crystalline matrix with many air bubbles. The edges of the breaks are not abraded but crisp. The butt is a slender trapezoidal with two rivet holes across the lower edge. There is a copper alloy rivet within each rivet hole. From these rivet holes the sides of the rapier expand into the shoulders of the blade. The maximum width of these shoulders is 31.03mm. From the shoulders the edge of the rapier narrows into the blade. From this point the blade itself tapers in width more gradually to almost have straight edges towards a broken edge. This break also feels fresh with crisp edges. The blade is an elongated lozenge in cross-section with no clearly defined mid-rib or edge bevels.
The object has a matte mid-dark green-brown patina.
The length of the rapier measures 82.58mm, 31.03mm wide, 13.05mm thick at the rivets, 4.81mm thick at the blade break and together they weigh 35.3g. its maximum thickness is 6.8mm.
The object is likely a Burgess and Gerloff's Group IV (1981) and dating to the period c. 1500-c. 1150 BC.
Class: Burgess and Gerloff's Group IV
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 1500 BC
Date to: Circa 1150 BC
Quantity: 1
Length: 82.58 mm
Width: 31.03 mm
Thickness: 13.05 mm
Weight: 35.3 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st April 2019 - Friday 28th June 2019
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment
4 Figure: SP4672
Four figure Latitude: 52.34415366
Four figure longitude: -1.32618873
1:25K map: SP4672
1:10K map: SP47SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.