Copyright Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Sword from Wigber Low
Dimensions : Length 91.8cm, maximum width 4.8cm.
Site name : Wigber Low
Site type : Burial site
Time period : Anglo-Saxon
Material : Iron; Metal
Object type : Grave goods; Weapon
Museum number : 1981.1.4265
The sword was found in Burial 4 at Wigber Low. It was lying between the two skeletons in this grave. It is made of iron and is almost complete. Only the organic elements, the handle and scabbard, are missing. The tang, onto which the handle fitted, is visible on the right.
The sword is a double-edged, blunt pointed type with a small humped pommel. This type is generally dated to the 5th or 6th century. This is slightly earlier than the date given to the grave as a whole. It may have been some kind of heirloom, which was kept for some years before being buried.
Bibliography :
Collis, J. , 1983
Glossary:
Pommel
Scabbard
Tang
Related objects
Helmet from Benty Grange
Sword from Lapwing Hill
Detail of sword hilt from Wigber Low
Sword under excavation at Wigber Low
home
bibliography glossary web site map
© 2009 Museums Sheffield