Throughout the ages, civilization have risen and
fallen based upon the sophistication of their
weaponry. As metalworking became increasingly
advanced, swords became denser and harder.
The first great advance in sword making
occurred during the Bronze Age. Swords were
cast from molten metal and, once cooled,
hammered to increase the density. Eventually,
after the advent of iron and the coming of the
Iron Age, weapons manufactured from this
harder metal were able to cut through their
softer bronze counterparts. The Iron Age
highlighted the impressive advantage gained by
those civilizations that had access to superior
resources and advance technologies. While many
older blade shapes were carried into the Iron
Age, the use of iron led to a greater variety of
blade types and styles, allowing the sword maker
to create weapons that were also works of art.
From a very early period bronze was used for
ceremonial and utilitarian purposes. Daggers and
swords would have fallen into both categories,
since they were used in war and as important
elements in ceremonies. Representing symbols
of prestige and rank, they would then have been
interred in tombs as objects highly desirable in
the afterlife. This particular dirk is very
beautifully crafted, elegantly proportioned and in
an excellent state of preservation. The hilt may
originally been covered in wood or perhaps ivory.
The fact that bronze was used for this dirk
instead of more durable iron suggest that it
likely played a ceremonial role as opposed to a
military one. The impressive artistry of the work
reinforces this theory. For such bronze work,
highly skilled artisans would have been required,
utilizing their talents for the elite group of
people who could afford an object so powerful,
and yet so graceful as this dirk.
- (X.0388)
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