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Mellor Flint Dagger On Display 4/5th September


A perfectly-preserved 4,000-year-old flint dagger unearthed at the dig in Mellor, Stockport, is being hailed as one of the most significant finds of its type in the region. The hidden site was spotted during the long, dry summer of 1995, when local historian Anne Hearle noticed that a strip of grass next to her vegetable patch stayed green when all else had gone brown. The patch was later found to be part of a ditch in an Iron Age fort. Digs have progressed since 1998 via volunteers, Lottery and Stockport Council money, and have shown that the area has been occupied for 10,000 years.

The 12cm long flint dagger was dug from the mud by Peter Noble. Manchester University archaeologist John Roberts said: "This dagger is an astonishing piece. I have worked on sites all over the country for 18 years and I have never seen anything so beautiful. It gave me goose-bumps on the back of my neck when it was found. Daggers like this have been found in the region before, but they are very rare, especially in this condition. Everyone is thrilled to bits." It's thought the dagger may have been included in a burial chamber on the site.

The dagger and other artefacts discovered in the Mellor archaeological dig will be on display at an open day at the site on September 4 and 5.

more at Manchester Online
where there is a picture of the dagger.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
31st August 2004ce
Edited 31st August 2004ce

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