Pieces of broken swords

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These broken swords are part of a large hoard of metalwork, much of it deliberately broken, found in Duddingston Loch near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. They were probably thrown into the loch as offerings to the gods sometime between 950 and 750 BC.

One sword is bent and broken in two, while the other two are preserved only as a point and bent blade.

Offerings to the gods were often special material, treated in special ways or put in special places, such as water. Prestigious weapons such as axeheads, maceheads or swords are sometimes found broken, probably part of a ceremony we can only guess about.

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• Online ID: 000-100-034-705-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.DQ 305
• Date: Between 950 and 750 BC
  
• Material: Bronze; broken off under hilt; bent back at point
  Bronze; contorted
  Bronze; contorted; bent; broken in two; three rivet holes and a slot in hilt plate
  Blade, sword
  Sword
  Sword point
  
• Dimensions: 10.25" x 1.75"
  14.25" L
  24.13" x 1.75"
  
• What: Blade, sword
  Sword
  Sword point
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Duddingston Loch
  Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Duddingston Loch
  Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Duddingston Loch
  
• Event:
• Description: Contorted bronze sword, broken in two, with three rivet holes and a slot in the hilt plate, from Duddingston Loch
  Contorted point of a bronze sword, from Duddingston Loch
  Blade of a bronze sword broken off under the hilt and bent back at the point, from Duddingston Loch
  
• References:
  • Coles, John M. Scottish late Bronze Age metalwork: typology, distributions and chronology. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 93 (1959-1960), 16-134, esp. pp 29, 38, 117. 
• Translations:
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