Rights Holder: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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SWORD
Unique ID: SWYOR-C0ABC4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A copper alloy sword pommel of late early-medieval date decorated in the Urnes style, c. AD 1025 - 1150. The pommel is a developed "brazil nut" type, broadly oval in plan, with a steeply curved upper surface and a less curved base. It is sub-triangular in profile, narrower at the top. A small sub-rectangular cast hole is present on the upper edge positioned at the peak of the dome. This extends into an area of damage. The lower bottom edge has a larger irregular sub-rectangular cast hole. The inside of the pommel is hollow. It is 39.1mm long, 62.8mm wide and 17.4 mm thick. It weighs 73.2gm. It has a light brown patina, with brass showing through in places.
The base, which curves upwards at the ends, would have rested upon a concave pommel bar. There is very worn decoration present the surfaces of the pommel. It can be compared with the Suotonka (Finland) sword, revealing it to be very broadly in the form of an Urnes-style beast with a body in a figure of eight formed of two lines, with a curved neck when passes under the loop on the right (of the viewer) to emerge in the upper field facing left.
Notes:
With thanks to Ny Björn Gustafsson for making us aware of the design on the pommel and comparable swords, which has allowed for revised dating on this record (RBW 23/08/2019)
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: County / local importance
Class: pommel
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1025
Date to: Circa AD 1150
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 39.1 mm
Width: 62.8 mm
Thickness: 17.4 mm
Weight: 73.2 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 20th August 2017 - Sunday 20th August 2017
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: PAS form number 2967
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Barnsley (Metropolitan District)
District: Barnsley (Metropolitan District)
To be known as: Darton
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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