SWORD

An Early Medieval, Anglo-Scandinavian copper alloy sword pommel of late lobed form, probably of 10th or 11th century date. It is hollow and cast. The base, which curves upwards at the ends, would have rested upon a concave pommel bar. The interior of the pommel has an oval opening at the base and converging sides towards the oval aperture at the apex of the pommel which held the protruding sword tang. The exterior is decorated with five lobes with domed ends that taper towards the broad end where the handle was attached. The central lobe is the largest at 21.6 mm at its widest point, flanked by two lobes of approximately 9.5 mm at the widest point, which are in turn flanked by two lobes of approximately 8.5 mm at the widest point. Viewed in plan, the central lobe is circular, with the flanking lobes semicircular, nested in descending size against it. At the base the pommel measures 53.7 across and is 26.9 mm in height. It is 16.7 mm thick. One side is damaged, with approximately one third of the side missing from the base up. This form is considered to be of English origin (Davidson 1962, 55-6), but is called "Viking" and "of late Viking style" by Oakeshott (1991, 78 and 81). Late early-medieval pommels (Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Scandinavian) were last thoroughly studied by Petersen in 1919. This one is a Petersen L type VI pommel, a fusion of Anglo-Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon fashions, and dates to the 10th or 11th century.