The Sword

The sword is the first weapon designed solely to kill or injure another being. It is a symbol and mechanism of warfare and violence. Swords could have long lives. Some seem to have been repaired and passed down the generations. They may have been given names and stories.

There are a variety of different types of swords and daggers in the Iron Age. Some are short for close combat, while others are long and suitable for wielding on horseback. Most are worn on the body in scabbards, a part of dressing for battle. Hilts and scabbards can have dozens of components in iron, bronze, glass, antler, bone and horn. Scabbards are often beautifully decorated, with designs that may partly have been for magical or spiritual protection.

The Mystery Warrior's sword is an essential part of his kit as a warrior, and would have been a deeply personal possession, perhaps even with its own origin story too. It is a long sword, good for wielding on horseback, with a 'laddered' scabbard. This is more typical of continental swords, and it is unlikely to have been made in Britain.

The Mystery Warrior's sword has also been violently 'killed'. It was deliberately bent before being buried. It could never be repaired or passed on, and therefore died with him.

The Mystery Warrior's iron sword remains in its iron 'laddered' scabbard. The laddering provided much needed support. The hilt or handle would have been made of horn. Two bronze suspension rings enabled the sword to be worn at the waist.