Object: Sword
Period: Bronze Age
Collection: London, Society of Antiquaries Collection, B.25,(presented 1860 Sudlow Roots, Esq., from the collection of his father William Roots - no. 15)
Site: Greater London,River Thames,Kingston,"...found on the 9th of January in the present year (1854) by the ballast-heavers employed in deepening the channel of the Thames at Kingston, nearly opposite his house, nine feet under the superstructure of gravel, and resting about two inches in the blue clay. It was discovered within a few yards of the spot where an iron battle-axe had been raised about three years ago, and which Dr. Roots then laid before the society. This site is closely contiguous to that part of the river just above the new bridge at Kingston, where..."(a)
Discovery context: river
County: Greater London
Country: England
Grid reference: c. TQ 17 68
Year of discovery: 1854
Length (mm): 688
Width (mm): sh. 61.3; hilt finial 38.2; min blade 31.3; max blade 42.3
Thickness (mm): bl. 9.4
Patina: Black-brown patina - specled deterioration to dull brown dry sur.; few extremities rubbed gold.
Description: Dimensions: L 688mm; Wsh. 61.3; W (hilt finial) 38.2; min W. bl. 31.3; max W bl. 42.3; max B. hilt fg. 10.0; T. bl 9.4,Typology: centre of hilt plate flat, but swelling at base to medial ridge of blade; [steryle] concave-lozenge section; end of hilt finial bevelled off; crest of hilt fg. strong but tending to flatten on shoulders; medial ridge - partly quite angular, partly slightly flattened; rivet round sectioned,Manufacture: ricasso v. [narrow] flattened - [pro...g] sl. indented outline; v. fine clean grooves - poss. cast variably diffuse e. bev. close to e. - close to tip develops into step moulding; shoulder-rivets with flat inner faces and occ. lips - punched; hilt ones with variable bevels around - poss. cast; stump in centre of hilt finial may be remains of cg. jet - or of tang, if so, re-worked in ant.; crude excesses of metal at dam. sh. - not fully worked?,Condition: Blade edges very good and sharp - very minor nicking only - much prob. recent as gold-flecked - as is v. tip which is just bent over; crack on one sh. anc. - dark brown - bending prob. and. too as no sign of recent interference; surviving rivet "S" bent - pres. dam.,Attached Material: patches of granular-textured and lumpy accretion - mainly in hilt - from context. prob.
Publications: a) P.S.A., 1, II, 1849-53, 199,b) P.S.A. 2, I, 1859-61, 84, no. 15.
Remarks: Labels/Markings: yellow ink inscr. "B.25"; loose tag label - Root's original,PIF, DF(C); SI; CI; Rec. SN Feb. 79; Source MV