Europe’s oldest prosthetic limb, which may have doubled as a knife, will go on display in the UK for the first time this week.

       The hand, made from bronze with a gold cuff, was discovered by detectorists in Switzerland in 2017 but has only previously gone on display briefly in Germany.

       Its creation has been dated to between 1,500 and 1,400 BC – around 3,500 years ago – and it will be part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum.

       Neil Wilkin, the curator, told The Telegraph: "It's a completely astonishing object – we've never seen anything like it."

       The hand was found near Lake Biel, in western Switzerland, buried in a human grave alongside a bronze dagger, a cloak pin and a hair ornament.

       Because the human remains had decayed too much for archaeologists to be certain that it fitted the individual, some experts disputed whether it was a prosthetic.

       One alternative theory is that it could have been a drinking vessel inspired by Mesopotamian culture. Dr Wilkin, however, suggested the prosthetic idea was the most likely.

       There is speculation that the hand, which has sharp, flat fingers, could have functioned as a weapon – but its exact purpose remains a mystery.

       "The fingers have a sharpness to them and, curiously, it doesn't show a fist that's clenched," said Dr Wilkin. "It shows the fingers protruding and, even if they weren't used as blades, they have that appearance."

       The hand's intricacy, solid metal construction and gold cuff suggest it belonged to someone of very high status, he said, adding: "It's so bespoke looking it suggests that someone's had the power or the status to commission something that is quite unique."

       The prehistoric treasure will be displayed in a part of the exhibition dealing with the decline of Stonehenge as a significant monument.

       At that time, the Middle Bronze Age, an increase in continental trade – in particular in metals – drove a substantial cultural change. There was a shift in power away from ancestral monuments such as Stonehenge, with greater emphasis placed on material objects as indicators of social status.

       "This is something that's happening across Britain, across Europe – more and more metal is being used to make jewellery and weaponry and things that indicate that you're in a slightly different social hierarchy level," Dr Wilkin said.

       Competition for the trade in metal led to greater conflict, and the hand provides evidence of both the increase in prestige metalwork and the violence that came with it. It will be displayed alongside the remains of individuals who suffered grizzly ends, including bludgeonings and stabbings.

       "It is likely that this [prosthetic] isn't a unique instance of someone having lost a limb and yet survived," said Dr Wilkin.

       The metal cuff, meanwhile, has detailed engraving on it which appears to be solar artwork, placing it within a broader, shared European culture that revered the Sun.

       "It's really the full package," said Dr Wilkins, explaining that not only does the hand display religious and artistic themes but it is also "telling us about a time of increased conflict across Britain and Europe".