Medieval sword picked up in ‘near-perfect’ condition from Polish river

‘After lying in silt for over 1,000 years, the sword has been preserved in excellent condition,’ experts say

Workers removing silt in Poland’s Vistula river have pulled out a rare 1,000-Year-Old medievalsword in “near perfect” condition.

They found the strange oblong metal object earlier this month amid the extracted sediment during dredging works and suspected it had a high chance of becoming a “national sensation.”

Experts then tentatively dated the sword to around the 9th century AD, adding that only eight other such swords exist in Poland.

“Today, during works restoring the original floor in the marina pool at the street. Piwna was excavated, an object that has a great chance of gaining unique status,” the city’s Center for Sport and Recreation said on 12 January.

Inscriptions on the sword, as seen using X-ray imaging, read “Ulfberht” – a marking that is found on a group of 170 medieval swords found mainly in northern Europe, according to CBS News.

“This is an extremely valuable find. We know that these so-called Ulfberht swords were produced somewhere in Central Europe, but it’s not known exactly where,” Sambor Gawiński from the Polish conservator office told local news.

Experts classified the object as a “type S” sword characterised by its straight metal cross guard which widens near the end.

The sword was very strong and flexible when it was used due to the amount of carbon steel in it, researchers say.

“More importantly, after lying in silt for over 1,000 years, the sword has been preserved in excellent condition,” Mr Gawiński told Warsawpoint.

Previous research has indicated that the site where the sword was found was part of an important shipping route in medieval times that connected the city to the Baltic Sea.

However, questions remain on who made the sword and some speculate it may be of Viking origin.

While several theories have been posted online, Mr Gawinsku said conclusive statements can be made only after thorough research.

“We are waiting for detailed information from the monument conservator to whom we handed the sword,” the city Center for Sport and Recreation said.