Sutton Hoo era sword pyramid found

This gold and garnet sword pyramid was found by detectorist Jamie Harcourt in the Breckland area of Norfolk in April 2021. He described it as a “find of a lifetime”. Pyramidal mounts of this type were introduced in the late 6th century and continued in use into the 8th.  It has been recorded at the PAS as NMS-81FAC8 and is currently going through the Treasure process. Although the precise function of these pyramids is unknown, they are thought to secure swords in their scabbards.

The FLO, Helen Geake, said that the garnets are Indian or Sri Lankan, which indicates the distances of trade routes at that time. Dr Geake said: “It would have been owned by somebody in the entourage of a great lord or Anglo-Saxon king, and he would have been a lord or king who might have found his way into the history books.”