More information about so called Broa sword

[Sidney]

Hallo

Do you have anybody more information about sword from Broa, Fare island, Gotland? /See below/. I would like to make exact copy of this weapon, but I have only few images. Do you know any citation of literaure, descriptions, pictures etc?


Thanks Sidney


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa%20sword.jpg

[kisak]

The only help I can provide is to point out that "Fare island" should probably be Fårö ("Sheep Island").

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Sidney,
Interesting question, and I'm curious....what reference is this photo from? Is there any text describing this weapon, which primarily seems 'Petersen Type I'.

This weapon itself is noted in the holdings of the museum in Stockholm. It would be interesting if they could add more detail.

Here, the site itself evolved from the original forums on Viking swords with Dr. Lee Jones. The book which he helped produce by Ian Pierce titled "Swords of the Viking Age" is a fantastic resource on these swords. Specifically on this exact sword, I have not found other reference as yet. Hopefully those here more familiar with this field might help.

Please tell us more OK?

All the best,
Jim

[Jeff Pringle]

The Historiska Museet has done an awesome job digitizing details about some of the items in their collection. It is cool when a museum puts good photos of their collection on line, but the SHM takes it way farther than that. Here is one of the photos of the sword in question -
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=20997
Following the inventory # 19734:36, you can find your way to images of the hand-written collection notes as well as the typed inventory notes and images of the sword and the other items from that grave and that dig. For sword research it is an amazing trove of information.
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/invnr.asp?invnr=19734
Alas, I don’t really read Swedish, but even so it was easy to run down some details on the sword.
Inventory #19734:36
Find place: Gotland, Halla, Broa
Viking period, acquired 1931.
The handwritten notes for the grave describe two swords and one spear etc. .
This is presumably the first sword, described as broken in three parts (“tre delar” in the notes next to the photo).
(photo 1)
L- 102cm
Hilt? L - 17.1cm
Over ? L- 9cm
Under? L- 10.5cm
Blade width – 6.5cm
The other sword is described as having a type H hilt and the drawing shows more breaks (photo 2)

Moving to the Museum’s Iron Age catalog, the grave goods are described differently, the second sword has lost its hilt (photo 3)

This blade has the right inventory #, and is in more pieces so must be the second sword’s blade (photo 4)

The ‘Fig. 11’ mentioned in the museum notes is also in the Järnålderskatalog, and shows a side view of the pommel. (photo 5)

I love this museum!! :D

[Jim McDougall]

Now thats some impressive research!!! Well done Jeff and thank you!
I agree, that museum is fantastic, and its really great to see some interest in these early swords, after all our 'namesake' around here :) Viking sword.

Sidney thank you for posting this, and I hope you'll keep us posted on your project.

All best regards,
Jim

[fearn]

Hi Sidney,

If you're really interested in making an exact copy, what I'd really suggest doing is going to Stockholm with a caliper micrometer and making plan measurements off the blade. Photos and notes will only go so far, and what you're missing is a three-dimensional description of the piece. The museum may be interested if you're willing to give them a copy of your data, and/or photos of your replica sword. They might find that useful in their educational work.

Albion Swords (http://www.albion-swords.com/) uses this approach, and you might want to contact them for advice on how to "take the lines" off a museum sword.

Best,

F

[Sidney]

Thank you very much

I will try to send a questions to Stockholm muzeum. I dont have enough time and money go to Stockholm :)

Your information are very interesting and impressiv. I will work up it.

It take a lot of time, but I wil glad to post my project after finishing.

Best regards Sidney

[Sidney]

I am adding any informations, which I have discovered

Information are from sources of the Stockholm Historiska Museet (SHM) and from personel communication with mrs Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson , 1:e antikvarie - Senior Curator of SHM

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=20997

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/invnr.asp?invnr=19734




Blade

Blade is preserved fragmentary, see pic. 1. There are no traces of pattern welding on the blade. But the condition of the blade is however quite poor and it is difficult to determine any original structure.



Pic. 1 – fragments of sword


Dimensions

assumed from SHM

Whole lenght 102cm

Lenght of the lower guard 105 mm

Lenght of the uppre guard 90 mm

Lenght of whole hilt 171 mm

Width od blade 65 mm

Thickness of lower guard 26mm

Thickness of upper guard 30mm

Individual dimensions are in right proportions


Calculated dimensions

As a reference was a lenght of the lower guard. See pic 2 and 3, which are in scale 1:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/002%20rukojet%20pohled%20zepredu%201_1.jpg

Pic. 2 anteroposterior wiev, scale 1:1

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/003%20Hlavice%20pohled%20z%20boku%201_1.jpg

Pic 3 lateral wiev, scale 1:1


Height of lower guard 21mm

Height of pommel 33mm
Width of the foot of pommel 79mm
Thickness of the foot of pommel 28mm

Height of upper guard 21-22mm

Width of the handle in the lower part 30mm, in the upper part 19mm
Lenght of handle 90mm

Thickness of the handle in the upper part 3mm, in the middle 4mm



Shape

See pic 2,3,4,5,6,7 – different wievs of the sword.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/004%20Pohled%20barevny%201.jpg

Pic 4 Color wiev of sword

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/005%20Pohled%20barevny%202.jpg

Pic. 5 Another color wiev

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/005%20Pohled%20barevny%203.jpg

Pic. 6 Another color wiev

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/007%20Pohled%20CB%205.jpg

Pic 7 Blackandwhite wiev


Sword type H

Both guards have quite pointed ends. According to pic 3, the faces of guards are ligth convex.

From below are visible rivets fastening pammel to upper guard. Between pommel and upper guard is visible notch wide about 2mm, see pic 8. Pommel sharply taper to a point in anteroposterior wiev, in lateral wiev is curvature convex. Edge of pommel is not sharp, but with narrow facet about 3mm wide, see pic 14. Lower and upper guard are continously eliptic with pointed ends, see pic. 7a.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/007a%20horni%20a%20dolni%20zastita%20pohled%20zesp odu.jpg

Pic. 7a Wiev from below

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/008%20Detail%20zarezu%20a%20hlavice.jpg

Pic 8 Detail of pommel and notch between pommel and upper guard

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/009%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%201_1.jpg

Pic. 9 Pommel in scale 1:1


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/010%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%202xzv.jpg

Pic.10 Pommel in scale 2:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/011%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%204x%20zv.jpg

Pic. 11 Pommel in scale 4:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/012%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20zastity%201_1.jpg

Pic. 12 Lower guard in scale 1:1



Decoration

All faces are adorned with tausiert decoration from interlacing lozenges from red and white metal. Width of lozenges are 6-7mm, height also 6-7mm, and width of connecting strips are about 1-2mm.

There are four rectangular dots in every lozenges, in the picture 13 are highlighted by yellow dots.

Edge of pommel is adorned by narrow lines in shape of letter V from red and white metal. Width of this strips is about 0,75mm, see pic 14, where are in scale 4:1 .

Special is executed passage of decoration to ends of guards – see pic. 8, 11 and 15.

Decoration of the upper and lower faces of the upper and lower guard is formed by plating with the yelow metal, see pic. 7a.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/013%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%20zvyrazneny%20 bronz.jpg

Pic. 13 Pommel with highlited „dotes“

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/014%20Hlavice%20vyzdoba%20pohled%20z%20boku%204xzv .jpg

Obr. 14 Wiev of decoration of pommel from side, scale 4:1

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/015%20detail%20zdobeni%20dolni%20zastita%202x%20zv .jpg

Obr. 15 Detail of the adornment of the lower guard in scale of 2:1



Material of decoration – according to SHM, white metal is certainly silver, red metal is copper. Today visible copper is only foundation for ultimate surface created by golden copper alloy. Pure copper was not visible at all. Traces of golden copper alloy are visible on the faces of the pommel and guards – see pic. 4 and 11. Upper and lower faces of the upper and lower guard are also plated probabaly by the same golden copper alloy – see pic. 7a.

„Dots“ lying in every lozenges were probably from another colour copper alloy than the rest of the hilt. Most of the rectangular dots however show the underlying reddish copper. Nevertheless, as for the materials of the decoration of the hilt it is difficult to determine the contents without a SEM analysis.

The groove between pommel and upper guard / see pic. 8/ indicates that there possibly has been a braid or twisted wire between the upper guard and the pommel but there are no visible remains. For example you could see pic. 16, 17, and wider one in 19.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/016%20Mec%20Novgorod%20kolme%20plochy%20bez%20zdob eni.jpg

Pic. 16 Sword from Novgorod with copper alloy plating and twisted wire in notch between pommel and upper guard


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/018%20Kilmainhaim%20sword%20hlavice%20krouceny%20d rat.jpg

Pic. 17 Sword from Kilmainheim with twisted wire decoration in this notch

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/019%20Helwi%20Gotland%20zdoben%ed%20kroucenym%20dr atem.jpg

Pic 18 Another example of wire braid in this notchhttp://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/001%20Cepel.jpg

[Sidney]

I am adding any informations, which I have discovered

Information are from sources of the Stockholm Historiska Museet (SHM) and from personel communication with mrs Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson , 1:e antikvarie - Senior Curator of SHM

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=20997

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/invnr.asp?invnr=19734




Blade

Blade is preserved fragmentary, see pic. 1. There are no traces of pattern welding on the blade. But the condition of the blade is however quite poor and it is difficult to determine any original structure.


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/001%20Cepel.jpg

Pic. 1 – fragments of sword


Dimensions

assumed from SHM

Whole lenght 102cm

Lenght of the lower guard 105 mm

Lenght of the uppre guard 90 mm

Lenght of whole hilt 171 mm

Width od blade 65 mm

Thickness of lower guard 26mm

Thickness of upper guard 30mm

Individual dimensions are in right proportions


Calculated dimensions

As a reference was a lenght of the lower guard. See pic 2 and 3, which are in scale 1:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/002%20rukojet%20pohled%20zepredu%201_1.jpg

Pic. 2 anteroposterior wiev, scale 1:1

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/003%20Hlavice%20pohled%20z%20boku%201_1.jpg

Pic 3 lateral wiev, scale 1:1


Height of lower guard 21mm

Height of pommel 33mm
Width of the foot of pommel 79mm
Thickness of the foot of pommel 28mm

Height of upper guard 21-22mm

Width of the handle in the lower part 30mm, in the upper part 19mm
Lenght of handle 90mm

Thickness of the handle in the upper part 3mm, in the middle 4mm



Shape

See pic 2,3,4,5,6,7 – different wievs of the sword.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/004%20Pohled%20barevny%201.jpg

Pic 4 Color wiev of sword

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/005%20Pohled%20barevny%202.jpg

Pic. 5 Another color wiev

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/005%20Pohled%20barevny%203.jpg

Pic. 6 Another color wiev

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/007%20Pohled%20CB%205.jpg

Pic 7 Blackandwhite wiev

[Sidney]

Continuation....

Sword type H

Both guards have quite pointed ends. According to pic 3, the faces of guards are ligth convex.

From below are visible rivets fastening pammel to upper guard. Between pommel and upper guard is visible notch wide about 2mm, see pic 8. Pommel sharply taper to a point in anteroposterior wiev, in lateral wiev is curvature convex. Edge of pommel is not sharp, but with narrow facet about 3mm wide, see pic 14. Lower and upper guard are continously eliptic with pointed ends, see pic. 7a.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/007a%20horni%20a%20dolni%20zastita%20pohled%20zesp odu.jpg

Pic. 7a Wiev from below

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/008%20Detail%20zarezu%20a%20hlavice.jpg

Pic 8 Detail of pommel and notch between pommel and upper guard

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/009%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%201_1.jpg

Pic. 9 Pommel in scale 1:1


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/010%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%202xzv.jpg

Pic.10 Pommel in scale 2:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/011%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%204x%20zv.jpg

Pic. 11 Pommel in scale 4:1.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/012%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20zastity%201_1.jpg

Pic. 12 Lower guard in scale 1:1

[Sidney]

Continuation....

Decoration

All faces are adorned with tausiert decoration from interlacing lozenges from red and white metal. Width of lozenges are 6-7mm, height also 6-7mm, and width of connecting strips are about 1-2mm.

There are four rectangular dots in every lozenges, in the picture 13 are highlighted by yellow dots.

Edge of pommel is adorned by narrow lines in shape of letter V from red and white metal. Width of this strips is about 0,75mm, see pic 14, where are in scale 4:1 .

Special is executed passage of decoration to ends of guards – see pic. 8, 11 and 15.

Decoration of the upper and lower faces of the upper and lower guard is formed by plating with the yelow metal, see pic. 7a.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/013%20detail%20zdoben%ed%20hlavice%20zvyrazneny%20 bronz.jpg

Pic. 13 Pommel with highlited „dotes“

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/014%20Hlavice%20vyzdoba%20pohled%20z%20boku%204xzv .jpg

Obr. 14 Wiev of decoration of pommel from side, scale 4:1

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/015%20detail%20zdobeni%20dolni%20zastita%202x%20zv .jpg

Obr. 15 Detail of the adornment of the lower guard in scale of 2:1



Material of decoration – according to SHM, white metal is certainly silver, red metal is copper. Today visible copper is only foundation for ultimate surface created by golden copper alloy. Pure copper was not visible at all. Traces of golden copper alloy are visible on the faces of the pommel and guards – see pic. 4 and 11. Upper and lower faces of the upper and lower guard are also plated probabaly by the same golden copper alloy – see pic. 7a.

„Dots“ lying in every lozenges were probably from another colour copper alloy than the rest of the hilt. Most of the rectangular dots however show the underlying reddish copper. Nevertheless, as for the materials of the decoration of the hilt it is difficult to determine the contents without a SEM analysis.

The groove between pommel and upper guard / see pic. 8/ indicates that there possibly has been a braid or twisted wire between the upper guard and the pommel but there are no visible remains. For example you could see pic. 16, 17, and wider one in 19.

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/016%20Mec%20Novgorod%20kolme%20plochy%20bez%20zdob eni.jpg

Pic. 16 Sword from Novgorod with copper alloy plating and twisted wire in notch between pommel and upper guard


http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/018%20Kilmainhaim%20sword%20hlavice%20krouceny%20d rat.jpg

Pic. 17 Sword from Kilmainheim with twisted wire decoration in this notch

http://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/019%20Helwi%20Gotland%20zdoben%ed%20kroucenym%20dr atem.jpg

Pic 18 Another example of wire braid in this notchhttp://livinghistory.cz/~sidney/Zbrane/Mece/Broa/001%20Cepel.jpg

[Rick]

:) :)

[Jeff Pringle]

Excellent, Sidney - take the bull by the horns and run with it! ;)
I wonder if the variation in copper alloy colors could be due in part to dezincification, where oxidiation preferentially removes the non-copper alloy elements?