Dunaverney flesh-hook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dunaverney flesh-hook |
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Dunaverney flesh-hook
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| Material | Bronze |
| Created | late Bronze Age (1050 BC – 900 BC) |
| Discovered | 1829, Garry Bog, Dunaverney, County Antrim |
| Present location | British Museum |
The Dunaverney Flesh-Hook is a very old and special bronze tool from Prehistoric Ireland. It was likely used during big feasts to serve meat from a large cooking pot. People think it was also a sign of someone important or powerful. This amazing hook was made a long, long time ago, between 1050 and 900 BC, during the Late Bronze Age. Since 1856, you can see it at the British Museum in London.
Contents
This ancient tool is made of bronze, a metal used a lot in the Bronze Age. It has a long handle and a hook at the end, perfect for scooping out food. It's not just a simple tool, though. It's also a beautiful piece of art from ancient times.
Birds on the Flesh-Hook
The Dunaverney Flesh-Hook has some cool decorations. At the top, there are five birds: two big ones and three smaller ones. At the bottom of the handle, facing these five birds, are two more birds.
Experts believe the two birds at the bottom are corvids, like ravens. The group of five birds at the top look like swans and their babies, called cygnets. It's thought that these different birds might have represented opposite ideas to the people of the Bronze Age. For example, swans are often seen near water and are white, while ravens are dark birds of the air. This could have been a way to tell a story or show different ideas through art.
What was it made of?
The flesh-hook was originally connected to pieces of oak wood. Only one small piece of this wood remains today. The bronze part is what has lasted all these years.
How was the Flesh-Hook Found?
The Dunaverney Flesh-Hook was discovered in 1829. Workers were cutting turf (a type of soil used for fuel) in a place called Dunaverney Bog, near Ballymoney in County Antrim.
Why was it special?
When it was first found, no one had ever seen anything like the Dunaverney Flesh-Hook. For a long time, experts weren't sure how old it was or what it was used for. But as more similar items were found in Ireland, Britain, and other parts of Europe, it became clear. These objects were from the Bronze Age and were very important tools used in special ceremonies and big parties.
The birds carved on the Dunaverney Flesh-Hook are still unique. You won't find another design quite like it anywhere else in north-west Europe from that time.
Images for kids
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The corvids at the end
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The waterbirds in the middle
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The hook
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The right-hand side of the flesh-hook (the cauldron is unrelated)
