Bamburgh Sword
The Bamburgh Sword is an Anglo-Saxon artefact from the seventh century. It was uncovered during an archaeological excavation at Bamburgh Castle in 1960 by Brian Hope-Taylor. The sword was missing until his death in 2001, when it was found in a suitcase in his garage. It is unique amongst swords of its period, having been formed by six strands of iron pattern welded into a blade, resulting in speculation that it may have been the sword of a king.
| Bamburgh Sword | |
|---|---|
| Type | Sword |
| Place of origin | Northumbria |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Unknown |
| Produced | 7th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 76 centimetres (30 in) |
| Blade type | Pattern welded |
Description
The Bamburgh Sword is similar in size to a Roman spatha, and would have originally measured about 76 centimetres (30 in) in length. It is an Anglo-Saxon weapon which has been dated to the seventh century, and was likely to have been buried in either the tenth or eleventh centuries.[1] It has a pattern welded blade which historians have identified by x-rays as being unique to the time period[2] in that it uses six strands of iron to form the sword, when no other blades of that era were made of more than four strands.[1] It would have taken a blacksmith around two months to create the blade; archaeologist Paul Gething said that to "produce a weapon of this calibre required state-of-the-art technology of the time, those who witnessed the creation of this weapon would have thought it the equivalent of magic."[3]
The relative cost of the Bamburgh Sword during the era of its creation has led archaeologists to speculate that the original owner would have been either a king or a close associate,[1] such as one of the king's favoured warriors,[2] and may have possibly been the sword of King Oswald of Northumbria.[1] The weapon would have been passed down a family line until its burial some three to four hundred years later.[1]
Rediscovery
The sword was unearthed by Brian Hope-Taylor during a dig inside the walls of Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, in 1960. However, the sword wasn't recognised and he took possession of the artefact. Following Hope-Taylor's death in 2001, a former PhD student of his was checking a consignment of items from Hope-Taylor's house that were due to be disposed of in a skip and found the sword.[1] A number of students had visited their former professor's house only because they had heard that his books were being sold off.[4] The sword had been stored inside a suitcase that was found in the garage.[1]
After being researched by Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland,[3] the sword was returned to the castle in 2005, and remains there on display.[1]
References
- Albert, Edoardo; Gething, Paul (February 2010). "The King of Swords". History Today. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- "Rare sword had 7th Century bling". BBC News. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- "Bamburgh sword only one of its kind in world". The Berwick Advertiser. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- Dawar, Anil (19 June 2006). "Anglo-Saxon sword rescued from skip". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2012.