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St Patrick's Isle Pagan Lady Burial Knife Hilt

Date made: Viking: 800-1265

Description: This knife hilt is very degraded, but the iron tang remains running right through the hilt and probably secured by clenching over a leather disc terminal. There are four bands of twisted silver wires placed into a groove in the wood decorating the hilt. Each band is made up of four pairs of Z- or S-twisted wires. Originally, additional bands of similar composition linked each horizontal band vertically. Fragments of silver and iron wire (1984-0016/40) probably associated with this knife.

Found on the floor of the grave in the central pelvic region, the knife may originally have been suspended from the waist.

This type of knife is more common in England than Scandinavia.

Measurements: c.90mm

Materials: silver, steel, wood

Date found: 1984

Object name: knife

Collection: Archaeology Collection

ID number: 1984-0016/21a

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