English: Description: A complete earlier medieval (probably circa 12th century) iron sword decorated with silver-coloured wire inlay and found together with the separate remains of its scabbard. The sword is 940.20mm in length and is 150.4mm wide at the cross-guard. The hilt has a 'brazil nut' shaped pommel 40.5mm in length by 60.5mm in width, a narrow square cross-sectioned grip, 90mm in length, which expands slightly towards the cross-guard. The cross-guard has straight quillions, square in cross-section, each narrowing slightly towards either end. The blade is straight, narrow, and gradually tapering, flattened oval in cross-section with a central fuller running down both faces. The narrow fuller begins c.28mm from the cross-bar and gradually disappears towards the outer tip of the blade.

The remains of the scabbard consist of a fragmentary strip of organic material that was found loosely attached to one face of the object. The material quickly dried out, causing it to fragment further and detach from the sword itself. The conservation report has identified the material as possible leather (Park-Newman 2017).

X-rays carried out during initial conservation of the object revealed an inscription, possibly in abbreviated medieval Latin or German running along one face and decorative motifs on the other, both inlaid with silver wire. These can be seen in more detail in the X-rays in the attached conservation report (Park-Newman, 2017). According to this report 'the decoration depicts a bird/two birds or an animal figure linked by a single line to a plume or feather, at the base of the plume is another long necked bird (not dissimilar to a swan) standing proudly (ibid).'

Edward Martin (pers. com.) has suggested that the inscription reads:

+DEANDVHEFNDTHENMDAEHRAEH +

A bold A = an upside-down A; a bold H = an H with a double crossbar.

Martin also suggests that the inscription may have had a break between the central T and H:

+ DEANDVHEFNDT HENMDAEHRAEH +

Discussion: The sword was recovered by workmen in waterlogged material from the bottom of a pond close to the banks of the River Lark. It was not deemed to be treasure initially as the silver wire was not visible due to corrosion. An assessment of its condition, x-rays, and initial conservation to stabilise the metal was carried out by Julia Park-Newman. X-rays and cleaning of a small area of the blade revealed the silver wire inlaid within the inscription and motifs. At this point the sword was reported as potential treasure by association. Other examples of items being considered treasure because of a separate precious metal component include copper-alloy strap ends with silver rivets (2009 T234, 2013 T797, 2015 T549) and a copper-alloy jug with inlaid silver "eyes" (2015 T909).

The long, narrow, flat blade with tapering point and long fuller and the brazil-but pommel suggest that this belongs to Oakeshott's (1981) Type XI. Most dated examples of this form appear to be of late 11th to 12th century date, although one example located in the collections of the Glasgow Museum, Scotland has been dated to c.AD 900-950. Silver inlaid inscriptions are common on swords of this date, although are rarely so elaborate. One of the most well-known examples is the excavated sword in the Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen dated c.AD 1075-1100 with inscriptions reading 'SSPETRNVS' and '+BENEDICATNTNSETMAT+' on either face (Pierce 2002, 136). Another with a shorter inscription 'SOS' (presumably an abbreviation of SANCTA O SANCTA), dated c.AD 1100-99, is in the collection of the Royal Armouries, Leeds (Mus. Ref. IX.1082).

The likely date of the sword raises the possibility that it was deposited during the 'Battle of Fornham', fought in the Fornham area between Royalist and rebel forces during the reign of Henry II in AD 1173-74 (SHER number: FGF 030). The battle occurred when the rebels, attempting to ford the River Lark in the Fornham area, were confronted and defeated by Royalist forces. Surviving rebel mercenaries were then apparently driven into the boggy area and killed by local people. Although the battle itself occurred across a wide area, the sword was discovered in the boggy flood zone around the river, precisely where the mercenaries are likely to have been driven.

Another Oakshott Type XI sword (but with a circular pommel), also thought to have been deposited during the same battle, is currently on display in the West Gallery of Moyses Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds (SHER number: FSF10976). Daniel Clarke (pers. Com.), Heritage officer at Moyses Hall, comments that the style is similar but the 'Fornham Sword' [at Moyses] has silver inlaid (writing and praying hands) on both sides of the blade.' The inscription on the sword reads 'NOMINE DOM' and '+SES BENEDICTVS' (be thou blessed in the name of the lord).

The provenance of this earlier sword is uncertain and there are several vague reports of swords being found in the Fornham area during the late 19th and early 20th century. The Proceedings of the British Archaeological Association for 1876 reported 'an iron sword found a few years ago in cleaning out a ditch near the Water Mill, Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds', which was inscribed 'in letters apparently of gold, upon one side, +SES BENDICTAS, followed by a design the character of which can now scarcely be ascertained; and upon the other side +INOMINE DOMINI followed by a figure of a right hand with extended fingers'. According to Raven (1890), a sword (assumed to be the same one) bearing the inscription 'HOMINE DOMINE (sic)', was exhibited at a conversazione during that year by Sir. W. Gilstrap, Bart. Edwardson (1970) also refers to a sword was discovered in mud in the bottom of a ditch in Fornham Park (Fornham St Genevieve) in 1933. The former two 19th century reports undoubtedly refer to the sword currently in Moyses Hall, but the sword Edwardson mentions may even be another one, current whereabouts unknown.

Metal content:

Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surfaces of three inlaid letters forming part of an inscription the sword, carried out by the British Museum's Department of Scientific Research, detected the presence of mercury and tin, but without any detectable gold or silver. The sword itself was found to be of iron, again without any detectable gold or silver. As the inlays and sword both contain significantly less than 10% of precious metal, they appear not to be Treasure, as defined under the terms of the Act.

References

Edwardson, A. R., 1970, The Fornham Sword. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. vol.32, 87

Oakeshott, R. E. 2013. The Sword in the Age of Chivalry. Revised edn. London: Boydell.

Park-Newman, J., 2017. 12thc Sword: Fornham Conservation Report. Unpublished Conservation Report.

Pierce, I., 2002. Swords of the Viking Age, London: Boydell.

Raven, J. J. 1890. Notes on Recent Excavations at Bungay Castle. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. 7 (2), 214.

Anon., 1876. Proceedings of the Association. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, vol.32, 501-2.

By: Anna Booth SCCAS May 2017

Reviewed by: Beverley Nenk, Curator of Medieval Collections, British Museum

Ian Richardson, Treasure Registrar, British Museum

Acknowledgements

With many thanks to Edward Martin, Daniel Clarke, Alex McWhirter, Bob Savage, Henry Yallop, Bridget Clifford, Edwin Wood, Andrew Murray-Wood and Sue Brunning for their help preparing this report.