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This sword was probably owned by an Iron Age Chieftain and was deposited as an offering to the Gods over 2000 years ago.Iron Age 'La Tene' sword with exquisite bronze scabbard, which would have been owned by a chieftain during the Iron Age, possibly the first century BC. The sword has a rare maker's mark on the blade; similar marks have been found in Europe showing a pan-European trade in such items long before the Romans came to Britain. A wear hole on the bottom of the scabbard may have been made by the owner being rather short and his scabbard dragging on the ground! The sword was found at Orton Mere in Peterborough in 1983, it was probably a ritual deposit, an offering to Gods or ancestors by being placed into the waters. Similar pre-Roman offerings have been found in the Peterborough area. The sword and scabbard went on display at Peterborough Museum, only to be stolen. They disappeared for many years only to turn up at auction in Germany in 2005. They were identified and returned to Peterborough Museum in 2007, where they are now on display.

This sword was probably owned by an Iron Age Chieftain and was deposited as an offering to the Gods over 2000 years ago.