First-grader on field trip finds 1,300-year-old sword

"A first grader out on a field trip with his class discovered a medieval sword in Gran, Norway. Six-year-old Henrik Refsnes Mrtvedt saw a rusty piece of metal sticking out of the ground and with the eternal wisdom of his six years, he picked it up to see what it was, thinking it was an old piece of scrap or broken tool. It was a sword. The teachers contacted the county archaeologists to report the find."

"They examined the sword and determined it is a single-edged sword, a type of weapon typically produced in Scandinavia during the Merovingian Period (550-800 A.D.). Archaeologists believe it's from late in the period, or early in Viking Age before they began producing the double-edged blade commonly seen in Viking-era weapons. The iron has certainly corroded over the centuries, but despite the rust, the sword is in overall excellent condition."

"Even though the hilt has a thick outer layer of corrosion materials and soil, the shape of the pommel and guard resembles the design of Jan Petersen's type F sword from his 1919 De Norske Vikingesverd (The Norwegian Viking Swords), still the standard text on Viking sword typology. Type F swords date to the first half of the 9th century."

"It has now been transferred to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo where it will be conserved, X-rayed and subjected to metallurgical analysis to find out more about its construction, age and use."

A first grader on a field trip in Gran, Norway discovered a rusty metal object sticking out of the ground and picked it up. Teachers contacted county archaeologists, who examined the find and identified it as a single-edged sword. The weapon type was typically produced in Scandinavia during the Merovingian Period (550–800 A.D.), likely toward the end of that period or early in the Viking Age before double-edged blades became common. The iron is heavily corroded, yet the sword remains in overall excellent condition. The pommel and guard resemble Jan Petersen’s type F design, dating to the first half of the 9th century. The sword was transferred to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo for conservation, X-raying, and metallurgical analysis to determine construction, age, and use.

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