Sensation on the Seafloor: Divers Find 3,000-Year-Old Sword

Off the coast of South Devon, volunteer divers have discovered a bronze sword approximately 3,000 years old. The find was made within protected shipwreck zones. The artifact dates to the Middle or Late Bronze Age (1300–800 BCE) and has been sent for restoration to the British Museum.

Off the coast of South Devon, UK, volunteer divers Becky Gill and Catherine Gill from the South West Maritime Archaeology Group discovered a bronze sword approximately 3,000 years old. The find was made within the protected wreck zones of the Salcombe Cannon and Moor Sand sites during surveys funded by Historic England. Preliminary assessments date the artifact to the Middle or Late Bronze Age, roughly between 1300 and 800 BCE. Despite damage from millennia underwater, the blade is in good condition. The Salcombe area is known as an important underwater monument: previously, Bronze Age swords, battle axes, a gold bracelet, and hundreds of other items have been found there, indicating an ancient trading hub. British Museum curator Neil Wilkin called the discovery a remarkable addition to the region's history. After restoration, the sword will take its place in the national archaeological collection of the British Museum.