as an iron would be today), a comb, a
spindle whorl, and needles. All these
items made it clear that this was the
grave of a woman. During the dig,
several other objects were found in
soil that had been disturbed by
plowing, including pieces of
another oval brooch
and a sword. Could
there be more graves?
Shadows in the Sand
As the site was under threat from
continued plowing, English
Heritage sent the archaeologists
back. Just 33 feet from the first
burial, labeled Grave 1, they found
another grave, and then another. Soon they had
uncovered five graves (Graves 2 through 6). All
were close together in two rows. The graves
contained artifacts from the late 800s or early
900s — the Viking Age.
Most of the artifacts were poorly preserved.
However, the corrosion on some of the metal
objects had preserved traces of organic matter —
wood, horn, and cloth. As the swords still showed
A spindle whorl is a traditional tool for spinning wool.
Scabbards are protective cases for the blades of swords or daggers.
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) manages the National Heritage Collection In
England, which includes more than 400 of England’s historic buildings, monuments, and sites spanning
more than 5,000 years of history.
details of
their
construction,
researchers analyzed each to determine how the
scabbardshad been made. They found that the
artisans had used wood, fur, and fleece, as well as
textile or leather covers. One startling discovery
came from a belt buckle that still had seal-skin
fibers, possibly from a belt or garment.An x-ray of the sword
with its round handle
knob at top in Grave 3Grave 3 — showing
damage done by plow
Graves 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6A close-up of the cloth cover
of a sword and scabbard