Abingdon Sword

{{Short description|Late Anglo-Saxon iron sword and hilt}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} [[File:Abingdon Sword 2014.JPG|thumb|190px|right|The Abingdon Sword]] [[File:Reproduction of the Abingdon Sword at Abingdon Museum.jpg|thumb|90px|Reproduction of the Abingdon Sword on display at [[Abingdon County Hall Museum]].<ref name="abingdon-museum" />]]

The '''Abingdon Sword''' is a late [[Anglo-Saxon]] iron [[sword]] and hilt believed to be from the late 9th or early 10th century;<ref>{{cite journal | authorlink=David M. Wilson | last=Wilson | first=David M. | url=http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-769-1/ahds/dissemination/pdf/vol09/9_032_054.pdf |title=Some Neglected Late Anglo-Saxon Swords |journal=Medieval Archaeology | year=1965 |via=[[Archaeology Data Service]] | volume=9 | pages=32–54 |doi=10.1080/00766097.1965.11735686}} {{open access}}</ref> only the first few inches of the blade remain attached to the hilt.

The sword was found in 1874 at Bog Mill (possibly Buggs Mill, on the [[River Ock]]), near the town of [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]] on the [[River Thames]] in [[Berkshire]] (now [[Oxfordshire]]) in [[England]].<ref name="birkett">{{cite web | author=Birkett, Thomas |url=http://poppy.nsms.ox.ac.uk/woruldhord/contributions/634 | title=The Abingdon Sword| publisher=[[University of Oxford]], UK | work=Woruldhord collection | date=11 November 2010 | accessdate=September 12, 2011}}</ref> It is held in the collection of the [[Ashmolean Museum]] in [[Oxford]], north of Abingdon.<ref name="ashmolean">{{cite web | url=http://www.ashmoleanprints.com/image/322220/sword-fragment-and-hilt-the-abingdon-sword | title=Sword fragment and hilt (The Abingdon Sword) | publisher=[[Ashmolean Museum]], UK | work=Ashmolean Prints | accessdate=September 14, 2011 | archive-date=9 June 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609041950/http://www.ashmoleanprints.com/image/322220/sword-fragment-and-hilt-the-abingdon-sword | url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Abingdon Sword has [[silver]] mounts inlaid with [[niello]] in the [[Trewhiddle style]].<ref>{{cite journal | author=Graham-Campbell, James | author-link1=James Graham-Campbell | url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-769-1/ahds/dissemination/pdf/vol26/26_144_151.pdf | title=Some New and Neglected Finds of 9th-century Anglo-Saxon Ornamental Metalwork | journal=Medieval Archaeology | via=[[Archaeology Data Service]] | volume=26 | pages=144–151 | archive-date=17 December 2010 | access-date=12 September 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217214702/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-769-1/ahds/dissemination/pdf/vol26/26_144_151.pdf | url-status=dead }} {{open access}}</ref> The sword's guard has interlaced animal motifs.<ref name="birkett" /> Ornamentation includes symbols of the [[Four Evangelists|Evangelists]]. The [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]] of the sword has two animal heads for decoration.

A reproduction of the Abingdon Sword has been on display at [[Abingdon County Hall Museum]] since it reopened in 2012.<ref name="abingdon-museum">{{cite web|url=https://ehive.com/account/4128/object/98085/Abingdon_Sword_replica | title=Abingdon Sword replica; Saxon; England, Oxfordshire, Abingdon-on-Thames |publisher=[[Abingdon County Hall Museum]] |work=[[eHive]], [[Vernon Systems]] | accessdate=July 8, 2012}}</ref>

The style of the guards and pommel also suggest the sword dates from the late ninth to tenth century.

== Description == The upper and lower guards are curved and contain various interlaced designs, including birds, animal and human figures, and foliated patterns. The figures on the upper guard have been identified as the four symbols of the evangelists. The style of leaf used next to the figure of the eagle on the upper guard has also been identified on early tenth century embroideries from Durham. The [[Alfred Jewel]] and a number of other objects date to this period. The [[Pommel (sword)|pommel]] incorporates two outward-looking animal heads, with protruding ears and round eyes and nostrils, now fragmentary.

The lower portion of the iron blade is missing, however X-rays of the sword show that the blade is pattern-welded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://britisharchaeology.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/highlights/abingdon-sword.html|title=Ashmolean Museum: British Archaeology Collections - Abingdon Sword|website=britisharchaeology.ashmus.ox.ac.uk|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref>

== See also == * [[Abingdon Museum]] * [[Abingdon Monks' Map]]

== References ==

[[Category:Abingdon-on-Thames|Sword]] [[Category:Medieval European swords]] [[Category:9th century in England]] [[Category:Military history of Oxfordshire]] [[Category:Collection of the Ashmolean Museum]] [[Category:History of Berkshire]] [[Category:Anglo-Saxon art]] [[Category:Individual weapons]]