The discovery of a well-preserved sixth century sword will be discussed by Duncan Sayer and a team of archaeologists who will feature on the BBC’s flagship archaeology programme Digging for Britain, at 8pm tomorrow, Tuesday 7 January.
The sword, which was uncovered in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Canterbury in Kent, is exceptionally well-preserved. It has a silver-and-gilt hilt and inscriptions on the blade and associated metal written in runic, an alphabet used by people in Northern Europe before the adoption of Latin. Traces of the leather and wood scabbard lined with beaver fur were also recovered.
Now, the incredible discovery, led archaeologist and Professor of Archaeology at the University of Central Lancashire Duncan Sayer, will feature on BBC 2’s Digging for Britain.
"It’s a wonderful find, from a rich cemetery which will reveal important clues about the early medieval political landscape, ties to Europe and migration evidence."
— Professor of Archaeology Duncan Sayer
Alongside the sword archaeologists unearthed a gold pendant inscribed with a serpent or a dragon, which is thought to have been worn by a woman of high status or kept as a family keepsake. It is unusual to have two object like this from one grave. Other graves will feature on Digging for Britian including a male buried with a spear, shield and seax, a one sided cutting weapon. Finds also include beads, buckles and clasps from Scandinavia, a well preserved wooden bucket.
Other treasures found on the site include spears, shields and other swords, primarily in men’s graves, and knives, buckles, brooches, and other artifacts in women’s graves.
Duncan said: “Swords like this were more than weapons, they were symbols of authority and lordship that were passed down for generations, this one was so closely associated with the man it was buried with that he looks to have been hugging it. It’s a wonderful find, from a rich cemetery which will reveal important clues about the early medieval political landscape, ties to Europe and migration evidence.”
"I’ve never seen one that’s so beautifully preserved."
— Professor Alice Roberts, Digging for Britain presenter
Professor Alice Roberts, an academic who presents the Digging for Britain documentaries, described the sword to the Guardian: “I’ve never seen one that’s so beautifully preserved.”
She said: “It’s an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery, with really beautifully furnished graves, a lot of weapon burials where you find things like iron spear-points and seaxes, which are Anglo-Saxon knives – and then there’s this astonishing sword.”
Scandinavian and Frankish origin artifacts were found in other graves at the Anglo-Saxon cemetery; the Scandinavian items belonged to a woman who lived in the late fifth century.
So far, the fascinating discoveries have been made from only 12 of the more than 200 graves on the site so the team are hoping to uncover even more artifacts as they continue to excavate the Kent graveyard.
Digging for Britain: Saxon Gold and Buried Coins, will be broadcast on BBC 2 on Tuesday, 7 January, at 8pm and will also be available on the BBC iPlayer after broadcast.
