Bronze Age sword is unearthed

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Bronze Age sword is unearthed

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=35682&headline=Bronze%20Age%20sword%20is%20unearthed&sectionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2017

Metal detectorist Paul Roberts has unearthed an amazing find that could shine new light on a little-known period of the island's ancient history.

While metal detecting on land in the east of the island in May this year, he found this late Bronze Age sword dating back to 900BC.

Given that it's 3,000 years old it is incredibly well preserved - a testament to the quality of its craftsmanship - and is in fact the third most complete such sword ever found in the island.

The bronze sword was found broken into three pieces but Manx National Heritage conservator Chris Weeks made a remarkable discovery while cleaning it - it had been deliberately broken before it was buried. Chris points to a bend in the metal: 'There's been an obvious attempt to break it here and failed.

'The breaks are entirely consistent with bending and not from being ploughed over.

'The question is why did they break it? It could be invested in ritual significance.'

Curator Allison Fox said: 'You quite often get broken swords in Viking age burials.

'This sword was deliberately broken in antiquity but it was an isolated find not associated with a burial.

'This is the first such instance in the Isle of Man.'

Landowners Mr and Mrs Gordon have generously donated Paul's find to the national collection.

Following further conservation work, the sword will go on public display in the Manx Museum's prehistoric gallery.

Allison said: 'The Bronze Age is becoming well-studied.

'We start to see patterns of settlement, evidence of domestic sites and metal working and different burial rituals, re-using Neolithic burial sites but burying people in individual stone-lined cists.

'These were settled farmers living in small communities all the way round the island.

'There was no indication that it was a particularly unstable society.

'But having said that, towards the end of the period we start to see heavy weaponry.'

She explained this period pre-dated hill forts but it is thought climate change was responsible for people moving down into the coastal regions, as the weather was getting wetter, and this meant more people competing for the best land.

Allison said that Dr Rachel Crellin, who is directing an archaeological project into the island's prehistoric round mounds has done analysis showing Bronze Age swords were not just used for ritual purposes but were used in combat as well.

It is hoped Dr Crellin will be able to carry out similar analysis of Paul Roberts' find to see if it had been used in combat.