EARLY BRONZE AGE DAGGERS IN CENTRAL ... - Bilkent University

It should be accepted, at least theoretically, that some of the proposed
spearheads might, in actuality, be daggers. The practice of accepting any blade with a
bent tang as a spearhead is not a sound practice. The whole morphology of the blade
should be carefully considered. In such a case, the spearheads apply greater pressure to
a surface and generally are built sturdier than the dagger blades. They are thicker (Fig.
7), yet penetrate with ease. The same blade used as a dagger would require great force
to pierce an opponent. Also, a dagger blade would bend easily if it was used as a
spearhead. Another indication of a blade being a spearhead is the metal imitation of
the wooden shaft attachment, including other organic material such as the cord (Fig.
8). This argument especially applies to many of the so-called spearheads from
İkiztepe which are already discussed in a publication, yet the general acceptance of
many of the daggers as possibly having been misclassified as spearheads is lacking. I
do believe that, in the near future, many of the blades which were thought to be
spearheads will be reclassified as daggers.
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