The dagger was made from an antler of a giant deer megaloceros, now extinct species of deer family, in the territory of the modern Sverdlovsk region, about 8 or 9 thousand years ago. Similar arms are only found in the Urals.

The fact is that forests of the Middle Trans-Urals provided the most favorable conditions for the population of megaloceros. Ancient people used sharp daggers made of their antlers not only for hunting large animals, but also for cutting their carcasses. The giant deer’s antlers were a valuable material for the ancient nations of the Urals. The antlers did not crack in the cold, did not deteriorate from moisture, and withheld high temperatures. They were springy while being resistant to blows, so they could be transformed into reliable weapons.

The dagger was made from the flat part of the antler, which connects its short base with the points. The flat part was split and daggers were cut from it using a stone or bone chisel. The edges of the dagger were scraped with a sharp object. The dagger does not have a handle as such. To make it comfortable to hold, its end was simply wrapped in birch bark or leather.

The dagger was made in the Middle Mesolithic era, as scientists found out in the laboratory of the University of Oxford in the UK, using radiocarbon analysis. At this time, modern vegetation zones and landscapes were taking shape on Earth, glaciers melted, and air temperature rose. Moose, wild boars, and brown bears appeared in the forests. However, the giant deer or megaloceros was a particularly desirable prey for ancient hunters. The noble animal’s meat was eaten, the hide was used to make clothing, and the antlers were transformed into weapons. This species of the deer family became extinct about eight thousand years ago.

This dagger was discovered at the end of the 19th century in the Shigar peat bog seventy kilometers from Yekaterinburg. The weapon made of megaloceros antler became part of the Shigir collection of archeological finds. This collection is known for her historical artifacts made of organic materials such as bones and teeth of animals, or of stones.