A Bronze Age dagger, three times longer than usual, was found in a Norfolk farm and used as a doorstop for over a decade.
Discovery in a Norfolk field
In a field in East Rudham, northern Norfolk, a farmer encountered a large bronze object while plowing around 2002. The object was so heavy that he took it home and used it as a doorstop for his office.A decade as a doorstop
For over ten years, the bronze mass remained in the farmer’s office, lying on the ground. A friend almost decided to take it to a scrapyard before suggesting the farmer consult an archaeologist instead.Identification as a rare artifact
In 2013, the county’s antiquities identification service confirmed the object was not scrap metal but a rare Bronze Age artifact. Specialists named it the Rudham Dagger after the village where it was found.Significance of the dagger
The Rudham Dagger dates back to the middle of the Bronze Age, about 3,500 years ago. It measures nearly 68 centimeters, three times the size of a typical dagger from that period. Its edge was never sharpened, and there are no holes for attaching a handle, indicating it was never used as a weapon.Acquisition by a museum
The National Heritage Memorial Fund announced in November 2014 that it had helped the Norwich Castle Museum acquire the dagger for nearly £41,000. The museum’s archaeology curator, Tim Pestell, expressed disbelief that such a valuable object had ended up as a doorstop.
