A metal detectorist, Glenn Manning, attending a rally in the North Cotswolds, England, discovered a pair of 1,800-year-old Roman cavalry swords still encased in the remnants of their wooden sheaths.
The swords, likely of the type known as spatha, were commonly used by Roman cavalry officers during the Roman Empire from around 160 CE until the third century CE. Due to their long, straight blades, they were suitable for use on horseback.
The discovery of multiple Roman swords in a single location in Britain is rare. According to archaeologist Simon James from the University of Leicester, who analyzed the swords, “In terms of parallels, I can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain.”
A comparable discovery involved a pair of similar swords found in Canterbury, where their owners were found buried face down in a pit within the city walls, suggesting a clandestine burial, possibly related to a double murder.
Credit: Cotswold District Council
The swords will undergo further analysis using X-rays, and the site where they were found may be revisited for additional excavations. The swords have been handed over to the Corinium Museum for preservation, and it is expected that they will be displayed for the public in the coming years
