Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

The first European daggers: Function, meaning, and social significance

Objective

The researcher is moving from Italy to Newcastle University (United Kingdom) to carry out EuroDag, the first ever comparative study of the function of early European stone and copper/bronze daggers, c. 3800-1500 BC. The EuroDag project aims to understand how early daggers were used, for what purposes, and in which social contexts, while also exploring whether meaningful functional differences could be discerned amongst this broad class of objects based on manufacturing technology, chronology, typology, or regional distribution. The research problem will be addressed through an original combination of museum- and lab-based microwear analysis (to be conducted on 300 prehistoric flint and copper/bronze daggers from Italy, central Europe and Iberia) and wide-ranging functional experiments with purpose-built replica daggers. The importance of the project is threefold: (1) this is the first comprehensive functional analysis of a class of objects that, though widespread in Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Europe, is still poorly understood; (2) it is the first attempt ever made to examine both flint and metal daggers as a coherent set of artefacts; and (3) it is the first time that a researcher tries to develop a unified experimental and analytical methodology for the investigation of both stone and metal objects from world prehistory. The research will dramatically reshape the agenda of European prehistory by revealing the functional basis of the social significance and fortune of early daggers. Whilst working on the project, the researcher will acquire new skills in prehistoric metallurgy, experimental archaeology, and metalwork wear analysis; she will also develop valuable experience in teaching and lecturing, academic writing, and public outreach. In turn, she will transfer her considerable specialist knowledge of prehistoric lithic industries, and her remarkable microwear analysis skillset, to the host institution, where such expertise does not currently exist.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 183 454,80
Address
KINGS GATE
NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
North East (England) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Tyneside
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 183 454,80
My booklet 0 0