Iron Age Sword and Scabbard, Isleham

Iron Age Sword and Scabbard find, Isleham

An iron sword in its decorated bronze scabbard was found by a farmer at Isleham in 1976. It was soon after purchased by the British Museum. A report was written for the 1980 Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.

Two comparable scabbard had been lost or deposited in rivers, and it may well be that the Isleham find was originally in the River Lark. P Jacobsthal is quoted: People would not have been such fools as to throw the bodies of slain foes, together with their stately arms, into the rivers: it is much more likely that these masterpieces of craftmanship were votive offerings to river gods.