Up to 1300 years old scramasax with perfectly preserved wooden handle

A scramasax (short sword) dating from the 7th to 9th century was discovered at the bottom of a well in Skälby in southeastern Sweden. Thanks to the mud without access to oxygen, its carved wooden handle still looks like new. Similar swords have been found in cavalry graves in Västmanland; they were intended for close combat, but their discovery outside of burial is very rare.

An approximately 40 cm long scramasax with an unusually decorated hilt was discovered in 2021 during archaeological research at the bottom of a well. It was buried deep in the mud, and due to its anaerobic environment, the wooden handle survived intact. It still fits perfectly in the hand today. The style of the handle and its decoration can be dated back to the Vendel period between the 7th and 9th centuries AD.

There were several scattered agricultural settlements in Skälby in the Iron Age. Its wells were used for different purposes at different stages, alternating between water sources, waste pits and places for ritual sacrifices. Archaeologists believe that the short sword was sacrificed, thrown into the well as an offering to the gods, because such swords were extremely valuable and would hardly be accidentally lost. Most often they are found as part of the grave equipment stored with the warrior, for whom such a sword was one of the most valuable items.

"It is unusual for such objects to be found in a settlement context. They were part of personal equipment, very expensive items and often had a sheath with a hanging device. We may have found part of a case, but it's too early to tell," says Louise Evanni, head of research. "One theory is that the sword was sacrificed deliberately. That seems more likely than accidentally dropping such an extremely prestigious object into the well."

The Scramasax was completely cleaned and preserved at the archaeological laboratory Acta in Uppsala. A small sample was taken from a small fragment on the inside of the hilt. The conservators scraped the broken surface of the loose piece with a scalpel, leaving the outer decorated surface of the handle intact. Under a microscope, the experts found that the handle was made of hardwood.

This is not the first rare find at this site. Recently, archaeologists have found, for example, a decorated elk horn comb, probably dating from the Roman period between 0 and 200 AD. It was also lying at the bottom of the well.

Roman Němec

Sources: thehistoryblog.com, arkeologerna.com