Anglo-saxon Warrior Burial Group With Sword - May 25, 2017 | Timeline Auctions Ltd. In United Kingdom
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Anglo-Saxon Warrior Burial Group with Sword

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Anglo-Saxon Warrior Burial Group with Sword
Anglo-Saxon Warrior Burial Group with Sword
Item Details
Description
6th century AD. A group of iron weapons comprising: a sword with parallel-sided blade, shallow shoulders, tapering tang, remains of the wooden scabbard adhering to both faces of the blade; an iron spearhead with broad flared middle, long socket (Swanton's group H2); a narrow spearhead with split socket, slight flare above the shoulder (Swanton's group H1); a small spearhead with split socket, leaf-shaped blade (Swanton's group C1); two small knife-blades; an iron fragment, probably the shoulder and tang of a war-knife (seax) or second sword blade, with remains of the wooden scabbard to one face; two shield bosses each with central spike, squat carinated profile, flared flange (group 3), one with one fixing rivet still in situ, the other with two; a third shield boss fragment (group 2 or 3) with apex disc. Härke, H. & Dickinson, T. Early Anglo-Saxon Shields, Archaeologia vol.110 London, 1992; Swanton, M.J. Spearheads of the Anglo-Saxon Settlements, London, 1973; Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B. Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010. 1.9 kg, total, sword length overall: 72cm (28 1/4"). Private collection, Cambridgeshire, UK; acquired prior to 2000. The items form a coherent grave-group for a middle-ranking adult male of the 6th or very early 7th century. The sword is of the standard early Anglo-Saxon type with thin, parallel-sided blade; it was probably pattern-welded but this is difficult to determine from the remains in their present state; no hilt furniture survives, as is usual with swords from Anglo-Saxon graves. The spears comprise two sturdy thrusting types (H1 H2) and a smaller throwing type (C1"). The smaller knives are not weapons but formed part of the standard dress of free-born males at this time. The second shoulder-and-tang element is most probably from a substantial fighting knife (seax) with remains of its wooden scabbard, but burials of multiple swords do occur (e.g. Prittlewell, Essex"). The provision of three shields and three spears is unusual for a single interment, although multiple weapon-sets are a feature of several important graves: the ship burial in Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, held three spears, for example. However, it may be that the grave was a multiple burial in which two men had only spear, knife and shield while the third also had a sword and larger knife. [10 No Reserve]
Condition
Fair condition, surface accretion.
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Anglo-Saxon Warrior Burial Group with Sword

Estimate £100 - £140
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Starting Price £5
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