River Witham Sword

The River Witham Sword is a Medieval sword recovered from the River Witham in 1825.

History
The River Witham Sword was likely forged in Germany and is noteworthy due to its immaculate quality despite its age. The sword has been estimated to have been produced c. 1250-1300 in Germany as Germany was the contemporary hub for blade manufacturing. The sword was presented to the Royal Archaeological Institute by the registrar of the Bishop of Lincoln in July 1825.

The sword was donated to the British Museum by the Royal Archaeological Institute of London and was on display at the museum as a part of their Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy exhibition ongoing through 1 September 2015.

The Sword
The sword has a double-edge, typical of weapons at the time. The weapon's length is 960 or 964 mm (38 in.) in length. The hilt of the weapon measures 165 mm or 6.5 inches. The blade itself is 815 mm in length.

The sword further has an inscription inlaid with gold wire along the blade which reads +NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+ This inscription is possibly an acronym in Latin but it has not been deciphered. The practice of inscribing Medieval swords with inscriptions was quite common and many remain a mystery. In 2006, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweeden began a project called the Fyris Swords Project to better understand the practice of inscribing swords and the function of those weapons.