'Incredible' sixth-century sword among treasures discovered at secret Anglo-Saxon cemetery

A spectacular sixth-century sword has been unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in rural Kent, to the astonishment of archaeologists.

- Dalya Alberge

The weapon is in an exceptional state of preservation and is being likened to the sword found at Sutton Hoo, the famed Anglo-Saxon burial in Suffolk.

It has a silver-and-gilt hilt, with a decorative pattern in fine craftsmanship, and a blade bearing a runic script. Even elements of its leather-and-wood scabbard and the beaver fur that lined it have survived to the present day. Attached to its pommel is a ring, perhaps symbolising an oath to a king or another high-status individual.

The sword is among striking objects that have been unearthed from an early medieval cemetery near Canterbury, whose precise location is not being identified as further excavations are planned.

Twelve burials have been excavated so far and there are thought to be 200 more, which will take years to explore. They date from the fifth and sixth centuries.

Duncan Sayer, the lead archaeologist and professor of archaeology at the University of Central Lancashire, said: "We're keeping the name of the site under wraps. It's a very rich cemetery. It would be a real tragedy if it became well known before we've excavated it."