An impressive sixth-century sword has been discovered in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the Kent countryside, much to the amazement of archaeologists. The weapon is in exceptional preservation and has been compared to a sword found at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Suffolk.
The weapon has a silver-gilt hilt with a fine decorative pattern and a blade with runic writing. Even elements of a leather and wood sheath and a beaver fur lining have been preserved. Attached to the pommel is a ring, possibly symbolizing an oath to a king or other dignitary.
The sword is among the striking objects found in an early medieval cemetery near Canterbury, an ancient city in southeast England whose exact location has not yet been determined as further excavations are planned.
Twelve burials have been excavated so far, and it is thought there are about 200 more, which will take years to study, dating from the fifth and sixth centuries.
"We keep the name of the place a secret. It's a very rich cemetery. It would be a real tragedy if it became widely known before we excavated it," says Duncan Seyer, lead archaeologist and professor of archaeology at the University of Central Lancashire. "The sword is truly incredible, it belongs to the highest echelon of swords, it's an elite object in every way, which is just wonderful. It rivals swords from Dover and from Sutton Hoo."
A gold pendant with an inscription in the form of a snake or
dragon was buried in the same grave. Since such pendants were worn by women of high status, it is assumed that it was a precious gift from a female relative or ancestor. Weapons such as spears and shields were found in all male graves. All female graves were filled with knives, as well as brooches and buckles, among other items.
The finds will be revealed in BBC Two's upcoming six-part series Excavations in Britain, which will reveal that an intact Anglo-Saxon cemetery is now "giving away its secrets". The sword is described as one of the most remarkable finds ever to appear on the program.
"I've never seen a sword in such beautiful preservation," says Professor Alice Roberts, an academic and documentary presenter. "This is an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery, with very beautifully furnished graves, lots of burials of weapons, where you can find things like iron spear points and siks - Anglo-Saxon knives - and here is this amazing sword."
She talked about the opportunity to discover new information about life at that time: "We have pretty scarce historical sources when it comes to this period, which used to be called the Dark Ages. We don't have a lot of modern literature."
A microscope used by Dana Goodburn-Brown, a leading archaeological restorer at DGB Conservation, can magnify details on the sword more than 10 times and reveal hidden clues about the burial customs of this Kent community. For example, she found fly pupae on the sword, meaning that the body was not immediately covered before burial, perhaps giving loved ones time to say goodbye.
Photo: theguardian.com
One of the graves belonged to a woman buried in the late fifth century with objects that were brought from Scandinavia. Some graves from the late sixth century have artifacts of Frankish origin. "So we can see changes in the political landscape of Kent at this site in the fifth and sixth centuries," says Seyer.
The excavation is part of a larger project. A study of 300 early Anglo-Saxons from Britain's east coast found that about 75 percent of the DNA belonged to continental northern Europe - "a significant migration event after the end of Roman administration in Britain," says Seyer.
"Before we published these results, there was still a lot of talk about whether there really was a significant migration. What is now absolutely certain is that there must have been a very significant influx, especially on the east coast, that occurred over several generations. They were not coming from one place, but from several places. This burial is at the forefront of this cemetery, which will be thoroughly excavated," adds Seyer.
The sword and other finds will undergo a lengthy conservation process. Eventually, they will be taken to Folkestone Museum.