Jungsteinzeit/Bronzezeit Feuerstein Dolch - 8 cm

Fine Neolithic / Early Bronze Age Flint Dagger

Culture / Period: Neolithic / Early Bronze Age
Date / Period: c. 2200–1700 B.C.
Material: Flint
Dimensions: 80 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 861

The current owner (S.N.J. S.) purchased the dagger from H.T. in Emmen.

The previous owner, H.T. from Emmen (The Netherlands), stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in The Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This finely worked flint dagger dates to the transition from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, approximately 2200–1700 B.C. Flint daggers represent the culmination of prehistoric flint-working technology in northwestern Europe, produced at a time when metal objects were becoming increasingly available but finely crafted flint weapons continued to hold both practical and symbolic importance.

Manufactured from carefully selected high-quality flint, the blade was shaped through skilled pressure flaking, producing its slender form and sharp, symmetrical edges. The craftsmanship required considerable experience and reflects a highly developed knapping tradition that had evolved over thousands of years. Such daggers were intended for use as cutting implements and weapons, while finely made examples were also likely carried as indicators of prestige and status.

Flint daggers are particularly associated with the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age cultures of Denmark, northern Germany, the Netherlands, and southern Scandinavia, where specialist workshops produced high-quality examples that were exchanged over considerable distances. Their continued production alongside emerging bronze technology illustrates the enduring value of expertly worked flint during this transitional period.

This piece provides a direct and tangible connection to the closing centuries of the Stone Age, when master flint knappers produced elegant blades that combined practical utility with social significance, reflecting one of the highest achievements of prehistoric stone tool craftsmanship.