Casgliadau Arlein

Two piece knife handle of bone or antler which has been well-used in antiquity. Each piece is rectangular in shape and section with the ends cut to a concave shape. A deep triple rib motif runs down both sunken faces and the handle narrows sharply at the blade. A fragment of the iron blade and the whole of the tang survives - the tang running flush with the edge of the handle to the end. The handle appears ot be rather short but the tang may have ended in a loop as happens on a knife from London (MacGregor 1985, Fig 88e). A similar handle was found in a context dated to AD 60-130 at Verulamium (Goodburn and Grew in Frere 1984, Fig 29, No 258)