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Research finally answers what Bronze Age daggers were used for
EurekAlert! ^ | April 29, 2022 | Newcastle University

Posted on 05/02/2022 1:02:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they were used for processing animal carcasses and not as non-functional symbols of identity and status, as previously thought...

As daggers are often found in weapon-rich male burials, or ‘warrior graves’, many researchers speculated that they were primarily ceremonial objects used in prehistoric funerals to mark out the identity and status of the deceased. Others suggested that they may have been used as weapons or tools for crafts.

However, the lack of a targeted method of analysis for copper-alloy metals, like those available for ceramic, stone, and shell artefacts, left this problem unresolved.

A revolutionary new method, pioneered by an international research team led by Newcastle University, UK, has enabled the world’s first extraction of organic residues from ten copper-alloy daggers excavated in 2017 from Pragatto, a Bronze Age settlement site in Italy. The new method reveals, for the first time, how these objects were used, for what tasks, and on what materials...

The residues were then observed under several types of optical, digital, and scanning electron microscopes. This allowed the team to identify micro-residues of collagen and associated bone, muscle, and bundle tendon fibres , suggesting that the daggers had come into contact with multiple animal tissues and were used to process various types of animal carcasses. Uses seem to have included the slaughtering of livestock, butchering carcasses, and carving the meat from the bone.

(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: bronzeage; daggers; dietandcuisine; godsgravesglyphs; infirmofpurpose; italy; pragatto; wellduh
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To: SunkenCiv
many researchers speculated that they were primarily ceremonial objects used in prehistoric funerals

These 'many researchers' are IDIOTS...................

41 posted on 05/03/2022 5:05:21 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: mass55th

Only Brit Bronze Age did that.............


42 posted on 05/03/2022 5:07:09 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Paperpusher; Cold Heart
My pleasure.

43 posted on 05/03/2022 6:11:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I’m going to guess that daggers were for stabbing things.

L


44 posted on 05/03/2022 6:16:38 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Lurker

Hmm... dagger... must be used for dagging things... :^)

I recall looking up the word in my teens. A knife (at that time) was considered to have only one sharpened edge; a dagger and a sword had two, and the difference between the two was length, iow, arbitrary.

We’ve got a painting showing someone getting knighted, therefore, swords had only ceremonial purposes. ;^)

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-accolade-edmund-blair-leighton.html


45 posted on 05/03/2022 7:00:10 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Sometimes you just wanna get stabby.

Best,

L


46 posted on 05/03/2022 7:02:50 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Lurker

Maybe these should be called Bronze Age stabbers.


47 posted on 05/03/2022 7:11:28 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Brabbers maybe?

L


48 posted on 05/03/2022 7:13:08 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Red Badger

A common trait, unfortunately.


49 posted on 05/03/2022 7:22:00 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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Industrial manufacturing of wool and wool textiles in Bronze Age Italy
https://phys.org/news/2022-06-industrial-wool-textiles-bronze-age.html

Unique cremation site of the Late Bronze Age was left to the elements
https://phys.org/news/2022-05-unique-cremation-site-late-bronze.html


50 posted on 06/04/2022 9:15:50 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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