from Shuna, Inner Hebrides
000-100-034-399-C
© National Museums Scotland |
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Sword
This bronze sword was found with two others, points downwards in the peat, on the island of Shuna in the Inner Hebrides. The hoard was deposited between 950 and 750 BC.
The leaf-shaped blade has three rivet holes in each wing and one in the hilt plate for securing handle. The pommel end of the handle has broken off.
Prestigious weapons such as swords are sometimes found broken or placed in special places such as water where they were unlikely to have been placed for safekeeping. Such deposits may be offerings to the gods, ritually destroyed as part of a ceremony we can only guess at.
Record details
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| Online ID: |
000-100-034-399-C |
| Image Rights Holder: |
National Museums Scotland |
| Project: |
0098: National Museums Scotland
Project description | View all records in project |
| Ref: |
National Museums Scotland X.DL 21 |
| Date: |
Between 950 and 750 BC
Late Bronze Age
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| Material: |
Bronze; leaf-shaped; three rivet holes in each wing and one in hilt plate; pommel end of handle broken off
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| Dimensions: |
21.13" L
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| What: |
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| Subject: |
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| Who: |
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| Where: |
Scotland, Argyll, Shuna
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| Event: |
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| Description: |
Late Bronze Age leaf-shaped sword, found with two others point downwards in peat at Shuna, Argyll
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| References: |
- Coles, John M. Scottish late Bronze Age metalwork: typology, distributions and chronology. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 93 (1959-1960), pp 16-134, esp. 83, 104.
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