A beautifully crafted sword pommel and hilt fittings found in a Lincolnshire field have been purchased by the British Museum.
A rare seventh century sword, found in a Lincolnshire town in 2002, has become part of the British Museum's collection.The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Friends of the British Museum provided funding to purchase the sword for £125,000 after it was valued by an independent treasure valuation committee.Discovered using a metal detector near the town of Market Rasen four years ago, the Anglo Saxon gold sword pommel and hilt fittings are the first of their kind to be found in England and are decorated with garnets, crafted animal heads and Celtic patterns.The pommel would have been carried along trade routes from Asia, while Anglo-Saxon workers crafted the hilt fittings and the sword is excellent example of early medieval workmanship.Similar items have been unearthed in Italy and Scandinavia, but this is the first Anglo-Saxon sword of such quality to be found in Britain and provides vital information about seventh century workshops and craftsmen.The anonymous finder of the sword is reported to be planning to share the cash with the owner of the field in which it was found.
(UKTV History - First published: 8th January 2007)
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