The sword from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo ship-burial dates to approximately AD 620 and was found in Suffolk, England. This sword is among the many artifacts uncovered in the Sutton Hoo ship-burial, which is believed to have belonged to one of four East Anglian kings: Eorpwald, Raedwald, and the co-regents Ecric and Sigebert. The artifacts from this burial were selected to reflect the high status of the king and to equip him for the Afterlife.

Anglo-Saxon blades were made using a technique known as hazing, in which bars of iron were twisted and then hammered to form the core of the blade, to which sharp cutting edges were then added. This method gives the garment a form with intricate text resembling herringbone or snake-like markings.

The sword found in the Sutton Hoo ship grave is particularly complex. The sword is equipped with a lever along with gold hilt (handle) accessories. The knife handle is inlaid with cloisonné garnet, the guards are made from gold plates, and the grip has two gold supports decorated with spiritual resolutions. Wear marks on the hilt may have been caused by the owner’s hands or clothing rubbing against it when the sword was sheathed on the side.

The sword was buried in a wooden scabbard covered in leather and lined with sheep’s wool, which was oiled to keep the blade bright. Two button-shaped brackets and two pyramid-shaped fittings, also in gold with garnet inlays, are attached to the scabbard. The sword hangs from a belt with equally gorgeous accessories.

All are made of gold with cloisonné garnet inlays. One of them, the T-shaped strap dispenser, is made of three moving parts. On the back of one bracket there are signs of a small jeweler’s hammer where repairs were made. The sword belt buckle was the only piece of ‘jewelry’ found in this particular tomb that was damaged – it was underneath the blade and was crushed when the tomb collapsed