Emily Chan
In 1994, archaeologists found an iron sword stuck in the ground in the ancient town of Valencia, a city located on the eastern coast of Spain.
Now, the Archaeology Service of the Valencia City Council is finally unraveling the sword’s secrets as they continue their studies of it.
The artifact was named “Excalibur” after the sword from the British legend of King Arthur. In the legend, a special sword was fixed upright in a stone with magic, and Arthur was the only person who could pull it out. After accomplishing the feat, he was crowned king.
Since its discovery, the age of the sword uncovered in Valencia has been unclear. Recently, researchers have managed to date the weapon.
The new study was led by archaeologist José Miguel Osuna. He and his team determined that it was from the 10th century, which meant that it was over 1,000 years old.
During that time period, much of the Iberian Peninsula, including Valencia, was under Islamic rule. In Spain, the Islamic period began in A.D. 711 and ended in A.D.1492.
The sword is the first of its kind to be found in Valencia from the Islamic period. It’s rare for well-preserved swords from this era to be found in Spain, especially in Valencia, because the soil type makes it hard for artifacts to be conserved there. Only one other comparable weapon has been excavated in Spain, on the outskirts of Córdoba.
The sword is approximately 18 inches long and features a hilt plated with bronze. The blade curves slightly toward the tip, which is a characteristic that threw researchers off in terms of chronology since Visigoth swords are known to be shaped similarly.
The Visigoths were a Germanic people who established a large kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula right after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
