9th century BC. A Period IV iron flanged dagger, formed from one hammered piece of iron, hilt indented to fit the fingers, with pelta-shaped pommel, a separate bronze band now missing, two iron rivets which secured the band to the hilt still present, one at the top of the pommel, the other at the height of the guard. See Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, pp.54ff, no.54. 265 grams, 41cm (16"). From a private Netherlands collection; previously in an old collection since before 1980. This dagger belongs to a large group of similar swords and daggers, primarily of iron, with a variety of hilt and blade types, excavated in the Middle East and especially in Hasanlu. Iron daggers are mentioned in Assyrian texts by the thirteenth century BC, and even in the Iliad, but evidence for their common use appeared more evident from 9th century BC. This kind of dagger appears in the hands of Assyrian warriors on Assyrian sculpted and painted monuments.