A rare Bronze Age sword has been discovered off the British coast of Devon at a Protected Wreck site.
The sword was found by scuba divers Becky Gill and Catherine Gillon earlier this year, and was uncovered during excavations at the overlapping Salcombe Cannon and Moor Sand sites. The find marks the first weapon of its kind recovered from the historic area since investigations began in the late 1970s.
Preliminary assessments indicate the sword was forged between 1300 and 800 BCE in the Middle or Late Bronze Age. The discovery took place under a Historic England-funded initiative delivered with MSDS Marine, designed to integrate newer volunteers into the South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG) team to preserve marine archaeology knowledge.
Following conservation, the weapon will be donated to the British Museum.
Sharing her reaction to the find, diver Becky Gill said:
“A kid at Christmas does not come close to the excitement of finding this sword.”
Her dive partner, Catherine Gillon, reflected on the historical weight of the artifact:
“I wonder where and who made it, who was planning to use it, and who was the last person to touch it, before us, around 3,000 years ago… It’s thanks to the team we have built up over the past couple of years, who all contributed to discovering this exciting find – and we’re hoping for more!”
Highlighting the significance of the discovery and the volunteer team, Alison James, project manager at MSDS Marine and archaeological advisor to SWMAG, added:
“This is an incredibly exciting discovery and a powerful reminder of the importance of Protected Wreck sites and the contribution volunteers continue to make to maritime archaeology… The fact that this discovery has been made by the next generation of volunteers makes it even more special and is a testament to the hours of diving that have taken place at the site by volunteers from SWMAG in the past and more recently.”
