While swimming in a river located in northern Poland in 2022, an employee at Poland’s Military Museum of Białystok named Szczepan Skibicki found an intact sword from the Middle Ages.
Skibicki is familiar with the Supraśl River as he had previously swam there. But during this swim, he encountered a sword. The area had been covered in sediment before, but it had washed away, allowing the sword to be revealed.
“It was Sunday, around 5 p.m., when I swam in the Supraśl River,” Skibicki recalled. “I knew this place and remember a time before there was a scum there.
“However, when I swam there, there was no sign of it. At about 120 cm [four feet] deep, I spotted an interesting object, which turned out to be a sword! Thanks to my education and work, I knew how to secure it and which services to notify.”
Skibicki removed the sword, ensured that it was contained in a wet environment, and notified authorities. It is believed that the sword was from the 9th century and was used by Vikings or Baltic peoples.
It shows some wear that suggests it was used in battle. It also contains mineralized fragments that allow for archaeological study.
According to Robert Sadowski, the director of the Military Museum, the middle part of the sword was the one that experienced the most blows and hits.
As a result, there are a few small cracks, scratches, and splinters. It is likely that a battle took place by the river, and the sword was in the water with its owner.
It may have slipped out of someone’s grip and was dropped into the river, where it remained lost and undisturbed for more than a thousand years.
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This is the second time that a sword was found in the Supraśl River. Previously, another sword was found in the river in the 1970s during a drainage project.
It was similar to the recently discovered sword, but it dated back to the early 11th century. Clearly, the sword is a unique find.
“It is a very unusual sword, from what I know, there are only three or four such swords in the country,” said Sadowski. “
Another expert named Ryszard Kazimierczak from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń agreed, saying that the “form, shape, and degree of preservation” of the artifact is very unique.
The sword appears to have connections to the Viking Age, an era that spanned from about 800 to 1050 C.E. During this time, Vikings conducted raids throughout Europe and landed in Poland. That is when the sword from the Supraśl River was forged.
The restoration work for the sword took about five months. The process involved meticulous removal of the mineralized coatings so as not to damage the sword’s original shape and structure. The Military Museum hopes to display the sword this year.