| Little Thetford flesh hook | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Bronze |
| Size | Hooked part length:12 in (30 cm) weight:9 oz (255 g) Butt end length:6 in (15 cm) weight:4 oz (113 g) |
| Created | lateBronze Age (1150 – 950 BC)[1] |
| Discovered | 1929,Little Thetford |
| Present location | British Museum |
| Identification | CHER 06956 |
| Bronze Age |
|---|
| ↑Chalcolithic |
East Asia(c. 3100–300 BC) |
Eurasia and Siberia(c. 2700–700 BC) |
Europe(c. 3200–900 BC) Aegean (Cycladic,Minoan,Mycenaean),Caucasus,Catacomb culture,Srubnaya culture,Bell Beaker culture,Apennine culture,Terramare culture,Únětice culture,Tumulus culture,Urnfield culture,Proto-Villanovan culture,Hallstatt culture,Canegrate culture,Golasecca culture,Argaric culture,Atlantic Bronze Age,Bronze Age Britain,Nordic Bronze Age |
| ↓Iron Age |
TheLittle Thetford flesh-hook is a lateBronze-Age (1150 – 950 BC)artefact discovered in 1929 inLittle Thetford, nearEly,Cambridgeshire, England. Aflesh-hook is a metal hook with a long handle used to pull meat out of a pot orhides out oftan-pits. This particular find is one of 32 other sucharchaeologically significant finds, scatters, and excavations within 1 square mile (2.6 km2) of Little Thetford.
The artefact was found by a Mr Dresser, whilst digging aditch on reclaimed fenland, atLittle Thetford in 1929. Discovered about 9 feet (2.7 m) down, it consisted of two-parts, connected by the remains of a wooden shaft. The wood remains have not survived; a contemporary wooden shaft has been added by theBritish Museum for display purposes. The artefact is in the British Museum though is not, as of 2012[update], on display.[2] Within 1 square mile (2.6 km2) of Little Thetford, there have been 33 finds of various kinds over the years,[3] such as flints[4] from theNeolithic era through to awindmill[5] of the lateMedieval period.
The wordflesh-hook is relatively modern. TheOED gives the origin of the word as 1325 AD, and defines it asa metal hook with a long stail,[6] used to pull hides out of tan-pits or asa hook for pulling meat from the pot.[7] It may also have been used as a tool to prod animals.[8] The use of this flesh-hook in theBronze Age can only be speculated.
The metal used in the construction is abronzealloy, found to be typical of the lateBronze Age. The material was analysed usingICP – AES and contained (approximately) 85% copper, 10% tin, 3% lead, and 2% impurities; although the constituents of the individual parts varied around these figures.[9] From an analysis of 36 other Bronze-Ageflesh-hooks known to be in existence,[10] the assembled length of hook-part, butt-end, and missing wood part is speculated to be 2.5 feet (0.76 m).[9]
The artefact was manufactured bycasting, using amould in alost-wax (cire perdue) process.[9]
The British Museum dates the artefact within theBronze Age 1150 – 950 BC.[1] The Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record database dates the artefact as late Bronze Age 1000–701 BC.[2]