Just a possibillity...
I would assume that the handle would have been leather bound wood...on that assumption ..the handle would have been bonded to the tang using some form of resin. If this is the case, after the wood had rotted away.. it would expose the 'resin covered' tang ...which could have protected it from rusting.
I'm not saying that this is true for the sword which started the thread... but could it be possible for other 'drowned' swords???
|