(Staffordshire Hoard Sword Pyramid)
The Staffordshire Hoard was one of the most famous and important archaeological finds in history. One type of item found was a sword pyramid, which were used in pairs to keep warriors from drawing their swords out of anger. It is very rare to find a single sword pyramid, however multiple pairs were found at Staffordshire. T
his pyramid was made from gold and decorated with cloisonné garnet and blue glass. Because of the material they were made from it is inferred that this pair belonged to someone of the nobility. David Symons, Curator of Antiquities and Numismatics at Birmingham Museum said, "There is amazing craftsmanship going on here; these goldsmiths were incredibly good at what they did. Look at the corner garnets on the sword pyramids, for example: they are taking 3mm stones and creating beautiful curves, woking at angle on two planes. Every surface is bevelled - it is such delicate work."
Sources
"Sword pyramid"
The Staffordshire Hoard. Birmingham Museum, 2019,
https://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/explore-the-hoard/sword-pyramid#1
"Rethinking the Staffordshire Hoard - Piecing Together the Wealth of Anglo-Saxon Kings"
Current Archaeology. Sept. 13, 2019,
https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/rethinking-the-staffordshire-hoard-piecing-together-the-wealth-of-anglo-saxon-kings.htm
(Staffordshire Hoard Sword Pyramid)
This is a cool piece. Looked up more info on how this was used between warriors, interesting artifact.
ReplyDeleteLike Chad, I looked into how a sword pyramid was used, and I found it really interesting that they crafted such intricate devices to prevent people from jumping into fights out of anger.
ReplyDeleteNice post! it is the first time I have heard about sword pyramid. I found it interesting that it was used as protective garment so that soldiers could not draw swords from their sheaths out of anger!
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