This cast bronze sickle, with grooved edges, is of typical middle Bronze Age form. With the tang for insertion into an original wooden handle, now long perished.

Sickles such as this were first developed in the Neolithic and were made of flint. They were traditionally used for cutting crops or clearing vegetation. However, it is probable that this fine example was made as a ritual object and never intended for use, subsequently being buried in a large votive deposit or hoard. Indeed the ceremonial burial of a very high quality implement such as this may have been performed in order to increase the chance of a successful harvest.

These artefacts were often deposited in rivers, springs and bogs, likely because of connections with a watery underworld. Who exactly the gods of ancient European people were at this time is not known, but attention has been drawn to a series of carved wooden figures from wetland contexts across Europe that may be representations of divine beings.

This fascinating piece encapsulates many aspects of ancient European life, from ritual and religious behaviors to the growth of the crucial bronze working industry.

Condition: Very good. With an attractive dark green patina, unrestored.

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