Archaeological excavations at Skelby on the outskirts of Västerås in southeastern Sweden have been completed. uncovered scramasax (short sword) with a decorated wooden hilt so well preserved that it looks like new, although it is over 1100 years old.
Scramasax, about 16 inches long with an unusually decorative handle, was discovered in 2021 at the bottom of a well, buried deep in silt and waterlogged clay. The anaerobic environment has preserved the wooden handle in its original form. It is rotated to fit the hand and is carved in the center. His style dates him to the Wendel period between the 7th and 9th centuries AD.
In the Skelby area in the Iron Age, there were several scattered farming settlements. His wells were used for different purposes at different stages, alternating between water sources, garbage pits and ritual burial sites. Archaeologists believe that the short sword was sacrificed, thrown into the well as an offering, since such swords were extremely valuable items and could hardly be lost by accident. In fact, they are most often found as grave goods, buried with the warrior who owned them as one of his most prized possessions.
The sword was completely excavated and cleaned at the Acta Conservation Center in Uppsala. It was examined under a microscope and determined that it was solid wood. A small fragment that broke off inside the handle was used to take a tiny sample. With a scalpel, the restorers scraped off the fractured surface of the torn piece, leaving the carved outer surface intact.
