Video: Archaeologists discover medieval remains in central Brussels
Archaeologists in Brussels, Belgium, have recently uncovered traces of an ancient cemetery in an active part of the city. The remains date back to the Middle Ages. (Source: @mijnmivb via Facebook)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A fisherman in Poland recently pulled a 700-year-old sword out of the water, providing a rare glimpse into medieval warfare.
The find was reported by the Metropolitan Conservator of Monuments in Warsaw last month.
The department said in a statement on Facebook that a lucky fisherman had found the sword in the Vistula River.
“It was supposed to be a fish this big , but it ended up being a sword this big !” the publication reads.
“As you can see, the Vistula hides real treasures.”
Experts believe that the sword found dates back to the 13th or 14th century, around the time of the founding of Warsaw. (Stołeczny Konservwator Zabytków via Facebook)
The fisherman handed the sword over to local authorities, who then passed it on to experts.
The group is currently working to preserve it for future research.
“Such an ancient sword found on the territory of today’s Warsaw is unique.”
The Facebook post mentions that the sword is preserved “almost in its entire length” and has a spherical pommel and a cross-shaped mark on the hilt.
Anna Magdalena Lan, the chief specialist for the city of Warsaw, told Fox News Digital that experts are continuing to examine the sword.
“The sword dates back to the 13th or 14th century, that is, the time of the foundation of Warsaw,” Lan said in an email translated from Polish to English.
According to local officials, the weapon, including the handle, is more than 31 inches long. (Stołeczny Konservwator Zabytków via Facebook)
“A more precise date can be established thanks to the cross-shaped mark, which is the 'signature' of the blacksmith who created the piece,” she added. “Research is ongoing.”
She noted that the length of the sword, including the hilt, is more than 31 inches.
“I don’t know the exact weight, but the sword is quite light due to the severe corrosion,” Lan said.
“Such an ancient sword found on the territory of modern Warsaw is unique.”
“The sword was found in a river, meaning it was found without context, meaning without other artifacts that could tell us more about it.”
The circumstances of how the sword ended up in the river are now lost to time.
Lan stressed that ritual slaughter of swords was not practiced in 13th-century Poland; it was a pagan rather than Christian tradition.
“A more precise date can be determined thanks to the cross-shaped sign,” the city expert told Fox News Digital. A close-up of the cross is shown above. (Stołeczny Konservator Zabytków, Facebook)
She concluded: “The sword was found in a river, meaning it was found without context, meaning without other artefacts that could tell us more about it.”
The weapon is one of many interesting archaeological finds made in Poland this year.
In Gdansk, Poland, archaeologists recently found the grave of a medieval knight under a former ice cream parlor.
A few months ago, two pedestrians discovered a 2,500-year-old dagger on a Polish beach on the Baltic Sea coast.
Sourse: www.foxnews.com
