Cambus Bronze Age sword
Last updated | 14/09/2010
This Late Bronze Age sword was collected in 1785
by the Perth Literary and Antiquarian Society. This was the
founding body of what is now Perth Museum and Art
Gallery.
The sword was dredged from the River Forth at Cambus. It was
initially identified as Roman. It was apparently found with a
piece of human skull attached to it.
At some point in the 19th century the sword and its provenance
became separated and the sword was later attributed to a grave in
Crieff.
Examination of the sword and early acquisition records in the
archives of the Perth Literary and Antiquarian Society has allowed
this error to be corrected.
The sword is likely to have been ritually deposited in the River
Forth, in the Late Bronze Age, some 3,000 years ago. It is a
significant addition to the inventory of Late Bronze age metalwork
from the Forth Valley in particular and from riverine contexts in
Scotland in general.
