An Anglo-Saxon, Viking style sword dating to c. 850-1050 AD. Vikings passed down their swords from one generation to the next and so it is possible that some were used over a couple of centuries.
The sword was found in the submerged banks of a watercourse. In 1916, dredging operations in the river Colne near Colchester yielded a number of 8th century Saxon weapons. It was suggested in this case that the river was a place of deliberate deposition, perhaps as a gift to the gods to secure victory.
It is a Find of Note: County importance