The Kirkburn Sword

The Kirkburn Sword, kept in the British Museum.

Kirkburn is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) south west of Driffield town centre and is on the A614 road. An important archaeological relic was found in 1987 during the excavation of a nearby Iron Age grave, dateable in the 3rd century BCE. The Kirkburn Sword, as it became known, is described by the British Museum as "probably the finest Iron Age sword in Europe". Its handle is assembled of 37 pieces of iron, bronze and horn and decorated with red glass. Its scabbard is made of iron and polished bronze, decorated with a scroll pattern in the style of La Tène culture, with red glass studs and insets.