File:Medieval Iron roundel dagger (FindID 218844).jpg

English: Iron dagger 493mm long 53mm wide. The blade is triangular in cross-section 380mm long, 36mm wide, 7mm thick along the top edge near the handle where it gradually narrows to a point, there is a cutting edge along the bottom. The guard is made of iron and is rectangular in plan 45mm long, approximately 20mm wide. The handle is wooden and remarkably complete, it is expanded behind the iron guard mirroring its rectangular shape, after approximately 10mm it narrows to the grip is 23mm wide which expands to 35mm at the rear. The pommel is circular 53mm diameter, 6mm thick (narrows to 3mm on the outside edge) this is made from iron. The condition of this artefact is amazing. The exact shape of the blade is clearly visible with little or no encrusting on the surface. The wood of the handle is excellently preserved, although one side of guard has broken after excavation. The quality of the preservation is a result of the burial environment. This artefact was found point down in silted clay at the edge of a river where the anaerobic conditions had helped to prevent the decay of the wood and the corrosion of the iron. As a result of the remarkable preservation of the piece the finder realised its cultural importance and has been kindly donated to Bath Museum. This artefact is a rondel dagger, the name of the dagger derives from the round pommel and often the hand-guard too. This is a weapon, and is depicted as a sidearm for solders and knights alike from a number of 15th century illustrations. Furthermore an example of 15th century dagger combat is illustrated in Hans Talhoffer's instruction manual (Rector, 2004) in which rondel daggers are the weapons of choise. There are a number of illustrations of the period where merchents etc. are depicted with rondel daggers worn at the belt; these are most likley worn for defence, though this was a fashionable male accessory as well as a weapon. Typically the blades are triangular with a strong wide back and only one cutting edge, such as this example, but blades with diamond and square blades are not uncommon. These blades taper to a fine point which would make them suitable to pierce mail or cloth armour or to pass through any gaps in plate armour. This type of dagger was in use from the 14th to mid 16th century, this example probably dates to the 15th century. Mark Rector (edds) 2004 Hans Talhoffer, Medieval Combat: A Fifteenth-century Manual of Swordfighting and Close-quarter Combat Greenhill Military Paperback.

This item was found in the banks of a river while fishing