The Archer's Copper Knives

[theotherwaldo]

I've finally picked up some proper copper knives. They are close duplicates of those buried with the Amesbury Archer at about 2300 b.c., roughly contemporary with the erection of Stonehenge, which was not too far away.
Here's the grave, as found:

-and here are the three copper knives:

You'll notice that their shapes and proportions are almost identical to flint knives of the same size and period.
Anyway, I've picked up copper blades that are probably almost identical to how these blades looked when new, 4300 years ago. My problem is, no one knows what the handles or sheaths looked like.
I'm thinking about keeping it simple - I've got some chunks of one-hundred-plus-year-old oak flooring that I'll grind and burn to shape and mount up with birch bark glue, finishing off with appropriate bits of leather.
Anybody have any input?

 

[Nuclear]

The hilts might have been wrapped in leather.

 

[Mizar]

It entirely depends on what you want to accomplish - just a fun time with those copper blades, or a proper historical reconstruction. If the second, you have no luck - not having an original handle example, or even a period example of some sorts leaves you with only a guess. And even an educated one would still be just a guess and that is no good for historically/archaeologically correct replica.

 

[kBob]

I would bet the one on my right ( the one with no taper on one side for the tang) had no handle and like many small stone utility knives was simply held in the palm or curled in the fingers. It might be for detailed small chores needing little force or leverage. Here in the US the Pre Columbians in the South East used a good many "Hand Knives" and "scrapers" that had no handles. People is people.

 

[readyeddy]

If I was 4300 years old, I would wrap the handles with leather or chord. Something sturdy but easily removed so I could reshape the blades after being worn from use.

 

[Speedo66]

Photo of what you bought?

 

[Mauser lover]

I'm interested in a pic of your knives too...

But what in the world is a "beaker pot"?

 

[theotherwaldo]

Beaker pots are one of the main identifying relics of this culture. They have a flat base, swelled belly, enough necking to allow a grip for lifting, and a flared mouth - like this:

-I like making duplicates of period pottery as well as period weapons.

And I'm trying to find an adequate camera that is recognized by this weird old computer that I'm using, so no photos as yet.

 

[WestKentucky]

Seems like a prehistoric human might have still known his way around rawhide and bone. Seems that would be both more durable and provide for better grip than a smooth hunk of wood.

 

[Kendal Black]

I see no holes through the tangs, which eliminates some choices, such as riveted scales.

Looking at the center blade, assuming its tang is complete, cord wrap would slip off the rear.

We are coming at the question a few millennia too late. But, since you see the similarity to the prior art in flint, the split haft and shrunken sinew wrap technique used in primitive arrows, even into historical time, might be a bet.

 

[theotherwaldo]

My current plan is to use rabbit leg hide on the smallest, double-taper lacing on the mid-sized, and socketed wood for the largest one. All will go in deep-pouched sheaths and will be held together with beech bark glue.

 

[Mauser lover]

Beaker pots are one of the main identifying relics of this culture. They have a flat base, swelled belly, enough necking to allow a grip for lifting, and a flared mouth - like this:
View attachment 787576
-I like making duplicates of period pottery as well as period weapons.

And I'm trying to find an adequate camera that is recognized by this weird old computer that I'm using, so no photos as yet.

Thanks.

 

[AZAndy]

-I like making duplicates of period pottery as well as period weapons.

Have you tried your hand at flaking flint? I've always wanted to try that. Any fool can make a loaf mano, but an arrowhead or scraper looks like it would take some experience and skill.

 

[Kendal Black]

Have you tried your hand at flaking flint? I've always wanted to try that. Any fool can make a loaf mano, but an arrowhead or scraper looks like it would take some experience and skill.

The first thing to acquire is Bandaids.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Have you tried your hand at flaking flint? I've always wanted to try that. Any fool can make a loaf mano, but an arrowhead or scraper looks like it would take some experience and skill.

I've been studying flint-working and I've been collecting examples but there is no local usable stone and I don't care to work with glass.
Maybe later.

 

[kBob]

When my son was in 7th grade one of his classmates was a flint knapper. A relative was with the local university museum and he was able to study the points and tools there and was making good enough replicas of them that some worried his would be mistaken for "the real things"

He worked in several types of "flint", obsidian, and man made glass.....all at 13.

He seemed to think safety glasses were very important.

-kBob

 

[Mauser lover]

He seemed to think safety glasses were very important.

-kBob

You don't say...I've had too much glass in me WITHOUT trying to chip it...

 

[theotherwaldo]

Yeah, I've avoided knapping, except to make disposable sharp stone flakes. I'm more likely to chip cobbles into a shape and then finish it with abrasive techniques - with results like these:

Here's a good demonstration of the process, care of Primitive Technology..

 

[AZAndy]

Yeah, I've avoided knapping, except to make disposable sharp stone flakes. I'm more likely to chip cobbles into a shape and then finish it with abrasive techniques - with results like these:
View attachment 787876
Here's a good demonstration of the process, care of Primitive Technology..

Nice work! Let's see, if you're using abrasion, that makes you neolithic. Of course, now that you're bringing copper into the mix, you've graduated to chalcolithic. Next stop: Bronze Age!

Does the axe on the left have a cutting edge?

Coincidentally, I'm currently reading a book that covers early human history and pre-history. I just learned that it was the Sumerians who developed the composite bow, which astonished me-- I thought that was more like Medieval era.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Those aren't my work, they're just examples - and yes, that axe has an edge... of about 40 degrees.

 

[kBob]

theotherwaldo,

Assuming your tag line is from H. Taylor I always liked "Everything can be airdroped.....once."

I understand that up around Nova Scotia where the Vikings met the skraellings one can find some abrasive finished points of high quality.

Copper was just beginning to be played with in jewelry here in the south east and was then suddenly obsolete with the arrival of Euro-invaders.

-kBob

 

[theotherwaldo]

The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries -

-Truly everything that can be moved can be air-dropped at least once.
I once took a deer with a dropped boulder.
Stone weapons rock!