Dagger · Neolithic
Scandinavian flint dagger
2350–1600 BCE, Bell Beaker
Flint daggers were made in Denmark and southern Sweden during the Late Neolithic 'Dagger Period' (about 2350–1600 BCE), copying the metal daggers of the Bell Beaker and Únětice world in a region without local copper. Lomborg's typology divides them into types I–VI; types IV and V, with fishtail handles and imitation stitched seams, are the most sought after. Lengths run from 150 to over 300 mm, made from Senonian flint from the Danish mines at Hov and elsewhere.
| Object | Dagger |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2350–1600 BCE |
| Period | Neolithic |
| Cultures | Bell Beaker |
| Regions | Europe — Northern & British Isles |
Diagnostic traits
A large, exquisitely pressure-flaked flint dagger with a lentoid blade and a distinct handle, the later types having a flared fishtail pommel and a seam of stitch-like flaking down the handle.
Identification
The defined handle separates a dagger from a large Neolithic lanceolate point or spearhead; a Danish flint sickle is curved and has a crescentic edge. British and Dutch imports are known but rare, so a fishtail dagger found outside Scandinavia should be treated as an export or a modern loss. Parallel ripple flaking across the blade and a handle thicker than the blade are consistent with the genuine article.
Reproductions and fakes
Flint daggers are among the most faked lithics in Europe, and modern Danish and American knappers produce convincing fishtail daggers; look for a consistent chalky or glossy patina over all flake scars and for the slight edge polish and handle wear of a used object. Modern copies often have a handle too thin to grip and a blade that is too symmetrical.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Scandinavian flint dagger" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/scandinavian-flint-dagger. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-scandinavian-flint-dagger,
title = {Scandinavian flint dagger},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/scandinavian-flint-dagger}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.