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Sword, Spatha

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A Roman spatha sword dated to the 2nd-3rd century. These weapons which developed from Iron Age precursors, were used by the Roman cavalry and then became standard infantry equipment by the 3rd century. This example was found in the River Lugg when a man stopped to wash the mud from his boots. A dry summer had caused a low water level in the riverbed. A curved iron edge could be seen in the silts and was initially thought to be junk until it was lifted out and the finder took it to Hereford Museum. Spatha are rare finds in Britain. It is one of about eight in the country, most of these were recovered from Roman military sites or graves. This sword is close in size to an example from Augst in Germany. A Roman soldier may have lost it, or it may have been ritually deposited in the river. Its unusual curve may be the result of natural forces during its 1700-1800 years in the river bed. Intriguingly, Philo Byzantinus in his 'Artillery Manual' (72.11) written in the 4th century, described the process by which Spanish spatha were tested for quality: 'When they wish to test the excellence of these, they grasp the hilt in the right hand and the end of the blade in the left; then laying it horizontally on their heads, they pull down at each end until they (i.e. the ends) touch their shoulders. Next, they let go sharply, removing both hands. When released it straightens itself out again and so resumes its original shape, without retaining a suspicion of a bend. Though they repeat this frequently, the swords remain straight.'

Details
Accession Number	2004-54
Date	43 - 200
Period	Roman
Collection	Archaeology
Technique	Forged
Material	Iron; Steel
Creator
Name
Locality	Bodenham
Locality	River Lugg