A significant discovery has been made in the Cotswold region. Glenn Manning found two Roman cavalry swords, along with the remains of their wooden scabbards and fittings, at a metal detecting gathering in the Cotswolds' northern region. Along with the weapons, a broken copper alloy bowl was also found.
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, said: “This new discovery shows what an incredibly deep history the Cotswolds has. People famously asked, ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’. Well, they have just given us some amazing examples of weapons used almost 2000 years ago when Cirencester was the second biggest town in Britain. This is truly a remarkable archaeological find and I can’t wait for visitors to see them on display in the years to come.”
Professor Simon James from Leicester University evaluated the swords and determined that they are middle imperial Roman swords, often known as spathas. By the late second century and far into the third century AD, they were most likely in use in the Roman world.
They appear to be cavalry weapons, or more precisely, weapons designed for use while mounted, based on their length. Due to the prevalence of banditry in Roman provinces, it was permissible for people to own and travel with such weapons.
Prof. James, explained: “In terms of parallels, I can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain. The closest that springs to mind was a pair of similar swords found in Canterbury—with their owners, face down in a pit within the city walls, clearly a clandestine burial, almost certainly a double murder.”
Kurt Adams, the artifacts Liaison Officer, deposited the artifacts with the Corinium Museum shortly after they were discovered to assure their preservation.
Historic England is helping the museum by making arrangements for the swords to undergo additional x-ray analysis. We don't know how or why the swords wound up buried in the Cotswolds, therefore an archaeological assessment at the dig site in the north of the Cotswolds may come next to assist put the swords into context.
