Iron sword with organic remains of scabbard

Sword by left side: length 79.5cm (blade given as 27 in. in original report - this tallies) with tang, which is now broken off. Width of blade in sheath only 4.5cm. An unusually small sword. The scabbard seems to have been of wood with a sheepskin lining - traces of leather covered wood and below that a smooth leathery surface, and below that again the hairy impressions of the wool. The impression of the upper and lower guards very clear in both cases they were 1.3/4 cm wide, buy the material of the cross-piece is not evident. Traces of wood on the grip. There is another groove on one side of the blade just below the lower guard, but whether this is due to the Victorian trick of wiring the thing to a board of to something more ancient cannot be said - the former probably more likely, since it occurs on others in different places.X-ray no. 16. Somewhat confused, but apparently 2 composite rods in double assembly, alternate pattern, but with straight filler rods between and at sides of core. X-ray could not be located in 2006-7. – D.H.