Stone Dagger

The representative ground stone tool of the Bronze Age is the stone dagger, the development of which was particularly pronounced in the Korean Peninsula, where they have been found in both dwelling sites and dolmen burials. Stone daggers seem to have functioned primarily as tools for practical use; however, several unique types of stone daggers have been found, including oversized daggers, daggers with embellished handles, and daggers decorated with symmetrical patterns that involved manipulating the natural grain of the stone. Such discoveries indicate that stone daggers, like their bronze counterparts, may have sometimes been used as symbolic or ritual objects. This particular stone dagger is the largest one ever found in Korea. Amazingly, the point of the long blade remains quite sharp, even to this day. The hilt is very short, and it curves out to an exaggerated wide base, like a flattened Bell Curve, making it rather difficult to grip for practical use. Thus, this stone dagger was probably not used in daily activities, but instead served as a grave good demonstrating the authority and status of the deceased. The production of such a large stone dagger would have been a delicate process requiring a lot of time and effort. Only highly skilled and specialized craftspeople could have provided the elite members of the society with such fine stone daggers. Therefore, at that time, the meaning of the stone dagger clearly extended beyond the simple stabbing and cutting functions that we normally associate with daggers. These symbols of leadership and power yield precious insight into the nature and function of Bronze Age society.