Newton Don

A bronze dirk dating from the Middle Bronze Age, about 1200BC, was found somewhere in the area of Newton Don. The blade of the weapon survives although the hilt, which was probably made of an organic material such as bone, does not. The blade is 296mm in length, and measures 61mm at its widest point. There are two rivet holes at the base, which would have been used to attach the handle. Close examination demonstrated that the dirk was worn and scratched, and that it had been sharpened, indicating a long use-life

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

NT73NW 17 c709 371.

A Middle Bronze Age dirk, ploughed up on the N side of the policy wall in the Bog Park, Newton Don, in 1919, was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1921 by C Balfour (Accession no: DJ 31) Measuring 11 5/8ins in length, it is noted by Coles as of Irish manufacture - Group II, Keelogue Class. (Newton Don: NT 709 371)

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1921 (Donations); J M Coles 1962; 1966.

(Keelogue type). Dirk with rounded, possibly reworked, butt, having at present two rivet-holes with plug-rivets and traces of one central and one side-notch; good, but rather worn and scratched light brown patina; length 29.2cm, width 6.1cm.

C B Burgess and S Gerloff 1981.