51149 AMONG THE OBJECTS FOUND DURING DREDGING OF THE WITHAM CLOSE TO THE SITE OF BARDNEY ABBEY IN 1787 WERE TWO LATE IRON AGE (LATE C1 BC/EARLY C1 AD) IRON SWORDS IN BRONZE SCABBARDS. THE TWO SWORDS, APPARENTLY IN IDENTICAL SCABBARDS AND IN A SIMILAR STATE OF PRESERVATION, WERE ALMOST CERTAINLY LOST ON THE SAME OCCASION. ONE OF THE TWO WAS SACRIFICED IN 1796 TO METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS RESULTING IN ITS TOTAL DESTRUCTION. FROM THIS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BLADE WAS CORRODED AWAY WITHIN THE SCABBARD LEAVING THE PROJECTING SHOULDER AND TANG AS THE ONLY METALLIC PARTS. THE SCABBARD OF THIN SHEET BRONZE WAS COVERED IN WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS 'A BRIGHT BLUE VARNISH', WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A CORROSION PRODUCT. THE SURVIVING SCABBARD IS MADE IN TWO PIECES, BOUND AT THE EDGES BY NARROW STRIPS, AND STRENGTHENED AT THE UPPER END BY THREE CAST BANDS. BETWEEN AND BELOW THESE ARE THREE AREAS DECORATED IN A SIMILAR CURVILINEAR PATTERN WITH SYMMETRICALLY PLACED DOTS, PERHAPS IMITATING RIVETS. ON THE BACK IS A LOOP FOR SUSPENSION. THE SURVIVING SWORD AND SCABBARD ARE IN THE CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM. {3}, LENGTH 0.88M