'Really incredible' sixth-century sword found in Kent [View all]

A spectacular sixth-century sword has been unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in rural Kent, to the astonishment of archaeologists.

The weapon is in an exceptional state of preservation and is being likened to the sword found at Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon burial in Suffolk.

It has a silver-and-gilt hilt, with a decorative pattern in fine craftsmanship, and a blade bearing a runic script. Even elements of its leather-and-wood scabbard and the beaver fur that lined it have also survived. Attached to its pommel is a ring, perhaps symbolising an oath to a king or another high-status individual.

The sword is among striking objects that have been unearthed from an early medieval cemetery near Canterbury, whose precise location is not being identified as further excavations are planned.

Twelve burials have been excavated so far and there are thought to be 200 more, which will take years to explore. They date from the fifth and sixth centuries.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/26/really-incredible-sixth-century-sword-found-in-kent

I am blown away. This is the part of England many of my ancestors, as well as my husband's came from, so it's of great interest to both of us.