#pre-viking

On the large island of Zealand, located in eastern  Denmark, two amateur archaeologists fortuitously decided to bring their metal detector along with them on a stroll through a field one evening.

While on their walk, the metal detector’s alarm sounded, and the pair from the small town of Svebølle, Ernst Christiansen and Lis Therkelsen, made a startling discovery: they dug into the earth, about a foot underground, and uncovered what appeared to be one end of a sword.

There have been many remarkable discoveries in lakes, over the centuries. One such find has just been recently announced in Sweden. A young girl found an incredibly rare 5th or 6th century AD sword in a lake in the west of the country. The find is believed to be a very important one, as there have been relatively few pre-Viking artifacts uncovered in Scandinavia and it is greatly exciting the archaeological community in Sweden.

The little girl and the sword

Saga Vanecek was out swimming near her home in Vidöstern lake in Småland, which is very popular in the summer months. Saga was swimming in an unidentified part of the lake when she stepped on something in the water.  She is quoted in The Local SE , as saying she ‘felt something in the water and lifted it up. It was a handle’. Naturally she was very curious and took it home and she showed it to her father and told him that it looked like a sword.

The young girl was excited and so too were local experts when they saw the sword. The artifact was presented to the Jönköpings Läns Museum by the eight-year-old.  The staff at the museum were amazed by the find and how it was discovered.  The Local SE reports that Mikael Nordström of the museum stated that "it's not every day that one steps on a sword in the lake!"  The local experts immediately recognized that the object was extremely significant.

Vendel and Valsgärde in Sweden were used as burial grounds during the Vendel period. According to archaeologists, this period began in around 550 AD and lasted until 800 AD. 

Pre-Viking Scandinavian Gilt Pelta Pendant with Bird, 7th Century AD

Pre-Viking Triple Bezel Gold Ring with Garnets, 3rd Century AD