1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon sword pyramid found by metal detector in Norfolk

Gold and garnet sword pyramid that was lost by an Anglo-Saxon lord 1,400 years ago is unearthed in the UK by a metal detector

  • The artifact, which usually comes in pairs, help keep a sword in its scabbard  
  • It dates to 560-630 AD when Norfolk was part of the Kingdom of East Anglia
  • The owner would’ve been wealthy, perhaps in the service of an Anglo-Saxon king
  • Its likely they lost while riding through the countryside, not in battle 

A bejeweled 6th century sword adornment was found in east England by an amateur archaeologist with a metal detector.

The artifact, made of gold and garnet, is known a ‘sword pyramid’ or ‘sword harness,’ and dates to between 560 and 630 AD when Norfolk was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia. 

The small mounds are often ornately decorated and would  be attached to the end of bands wrapped around a sword.

This one was uncovered in Breckland, Norfolk, in April, where it was turned over to the Norfolk Coroner’s Office, as required by law. 

Sword pyramids always came in pairs, Finds liaison officer Helen Geake told BBC News, so just uncovering just one ‘was like losing one earring – very annoying.’

A ‘sword pyramid’ made of gold and garnet was found in Norfolk, England. It dates to between 560 and 630 AD when Norfolk was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia

With the rise in metal detectorists, finding sword pyramids has become increasingly common.

Rather than the result of a burial or death in battle, Geake imagines many were dislodged accidentally.

‘Lords would have been careening about the countryside on their horses and they’d lose them,’ Geake said.

An Anglo-Saxon civilization, East Anglia emerged in the 6th century but was finally absorbed into the Kingdom of England in 918 AD. 

It's not entirely clear what purpose these mounds served, but experts believed they helped secure a sword to its scabbard, perhaps event to prevent a hasty withdrawal of a weapon

It’s not entirely clear what purpose these mounds served, but experts believed they helped secure a sword to its scabbard, perhaps event to prevent a hasty withdrawal of a weapon

The pieces of garnet embedded in the Norfolk pyramid are from India or Sri Lanka, she added, representing a distance of more than 5,000 and underscoring the incredible global trade occurring at the time.

Though tiny—about 0.4-inch by 0.4-inch and weighing just 3 grams—the mount is of fine quality, with incredibly fine foil work on the back. It would have belonged to someone of the upper class, Geake said.

‘Somebody in the entourage of a great lord or Anglo-Saxon king, and he would have been a lord or thegn [a medieval nobleman] who might have found his way into the history books,’ she told the BBC. 

‘They or their lord had access to gold and garnets and to high craftsmanship.’

Pictured: Sword pyramids, which always came in pairs, were discovered in the 1930s at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial site

Pictured: Sword pyramids, which always came in pairs, were discovered in the 1930s at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial site

Pictured: King Rædwald (c.560 - c.624), an East Anglian king suspected to be buried in Sutton Hoo

Pictured: King Rædwald (c.560 – c.624), an East Anglian king suspected to be buried in Sutton Hoo 

A more ornate pair now on view at the British Museum was discovered in the 1930s at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial site popularized by the recent Netflix movie The Dig.

According to the National Trust, an East Anglian king or warrior was laid to rest at  Sutton Hoo in a 90 foot-ship ‘surrounded by his extraordinary treasures.’

It’s not exactly clear what the sword harness’ purpose is, but archaeologists believe they may have helped keep a weapon holstered in its scabbard, ‘possibly acting as a check on an angry reaction,’ Geake said.

Discovering one on his first post-lockdown outings was the ‘find of lifetime,’ detectorist Jamie Harcourt told Treasure Hunting.

‘It is very similar to those examples recovered during the world famous 1939 excavation at Sutton-Hoo,’ he said. ‘The garnet workmanship is also reminiscent of several items in the Staffordshire Hoard matrix.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk