Prehistoric — Middle Bronze Age; 1275BCE-1140BCE
Sword
A Middle Bronze Age bronze Penard Erbenheim type sword dating 1275 to 1140 BCE.
In the Bronze Age swords were highly valuable and probably important markers of status and identity. They were difficult to cast and required a high level of skill from the craft-person who made them. Several Bronze Age swords have been discovered in the Thames. It is highly likely they were deliberately deposited in the river. This practice may have been linked to the importance of rivers both in a practical sense and a spiritual one. RIvers were special places, water was essential for life but could also be a threat to life. This blade was deliberately damaged before it was deposited into the river, perhaps 'killing' the blade to change it from its use as a weapon to its use as an offering.
- Category:
- Prehistoric
- Object ID:
- A22
- Object name:
- sword
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Middle Bronze Age; 1275BCE-1140BCE
- Material:
copper alloy
- Measurements/duration:
- L 704 mm, W (terminal) 45 mm, W (shoulder) 58 mm, L 253 mm, W 58 mm, D 11 mm (hilt), L 455 mm, W 47 mm, D 10 mm (blade) (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.