I Dig Sheffield | Digging Around Sheffield and the Peaks

Site name : Benty Grange
Site type : Burial site

Time period : Anglo-Saxon
Material : Gold; Bronze; Metal
Object type : Grave goods; Personal item
Museum number : 1995.260

Conservation of the original boar in the 1940s established that its body was hollow. It was made of two D-shaped pieces fitted back to back. The replica was made in the same way. The two halves of the body are made of two sheets of bronze, one straight and one curved, which were soldered together. The two halves, however, do not fit directly to each other. A small gap (about 2mm) was left along the boar's back for fitting the bristles, as shown on the image. The snout and the tail hold the two parts of the body together, leaving the gap for the bristles.

This bronze core is covered by two iron plates which form the boar's visible body. These were attached to the bronze core using silver rivets fitted through drilled holes. These rivets are also part of the design. They look like bristles. Then the boar's legs were fitted. These are made of bronze tubes attached to a larger bronze plate. This plate is curved to fit on the top of the helmet. Then the silver hip plates are fitted and the boar's body is complete.

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Bibliography :
Bateman, T. , 1861
Bruce-Mitford, R. and Luscombe, M. R. , 1974

Glossary:
Rivet

Related objects
Boar from replica Benty Grange helmet
Boar's eyes from replica Benty Grange helmet
The boar on the replica Benty Grange helmet
Two boar tusks and two pieces of haematite from Liffs Low

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