CHICHESTER, ENGLAND—The tests results are in, and Racton Man’s bronze dagger, discovered by a metal detectorist in 1989, has been dated to 4,200 years ago, making it the earliest securely dated bronze object ever found in Britain. At the time, James Kenny, an archaeologist at Chichester District Council, went to the burial site and uncovered the skeleton and additional rivets. “What makes his dagger so stunning is the rivet-studded hilt. Its design is distinctively British, but of a significance is the fact that it dates to the transition from copper to bronze metallurgy. This dagger is bronze and so this item would have been incredibly rare at the time; its color and keen hard edge would have distinguished it from the more common copper objects in use,” explained archaeologist Stuart Needham. Analysis of Racton Man’s bones by a team from the London Institute of Archaeology shows that he stood more than six feet tall, and was more than 45 years old at the time of his death, perhaps caused by the unhealed wounds found under the right armpit and to the upper right arm. He also suffered from spinal degeneration, a chronic sinus infection, tooth decay, and an abscess. Isotope analysis of his teeth by scientists from Durham University suggest that he grew up in southern Britain. To read about a weapon from the same time period, see "Artifact: Bronze Age Dagger."
