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Special/Small Finds are recorded apart from the general bulk of artefacts in UK Archaeology. This is the first of a series of SFs from the Stalbridge House excavation (1613-1823). Early forks had two tines.  

• Early 17th century - Forks became commonplace across Europe as a tool of steadying food while cutting, and in a lesser case for providing easier transfer of solid food between the plate and mouth. Majority of people still used sharply pointed knives for that purpose.
• 1630 - Forks and blunt tipped knives start arriving at colonies in North America.
• 1669 - French King Louis XIV of France banned the use of sharp tipped knives in France as a means of reducing violence. This introduced new era of blunt tipped eating knives.