Gebroken achtergelaten in het dal van de Aa. Een Zwitserse dolk in een Brabants beekdal

In september 2021, Wim van Schaijk made an extraordinary discovery while metal detecting near Dinther. He found a fragment of a bronze dagger very similar to specimens found in
Switzerland/East France (Jura). This group is called Kannelierte Griffplattendolche, dating from
the early phase of the Middle Bronze Age. The find triggered a series of non-destructive and slightly invasive investigations. First, a pXRF analysis was carried out, revealing that the surface of the dagger was covered with iron concretions. This iron crust strongly influenced the pXRF measurements. The tin value indicated by pXRF was rather high, 33wt%. Therefore, it was decided to examine the fragment at TU Delft, using neutron tomography/gamma spectroscopy. This yielded also a much lower, but still high tin content for Bronze Age metal, 23.6%. Finally, a pXRF of a small drilled sample (7 mg) yielded a result of 8.4% tin, suggesting an average tin percentage.
We conclude that the dagger made a long journey from Switzerland to North Brabant, and was probably fragmented by the last owner. The fragment of the dagger was deposited in the low stream valley of the Aa. This wet place was the final destination of its long life journey.