'Old swords and daggers' were dug up in Maughold Churchyard about 10 metres southwest of the church.  The only extant fragment is a portion of the hilt end of a Jan Petersen L (Wheeler V) type sword, 16.3 centimetres long (dated to about 900 AD) with pommel knob missing.  The find probably represents a Viking burial in a Christian churchyard.  It was presented to the Society of Antiquities, Scotland by J.R. Oswald in 1824 who stated that it was dug up 'many years ago' and re-discovered by him in the church circa 1816. It is now in the National Museum of Antiquities, Edinburgh (Reg. No. LB 6).