1,200-Year-Old Viking Age Sword Found By A Hiker In Norway
In late October, 2015 a hiker by the name Goran Olsen discovered a 1,200-year-old Viking Age sword in southern Norway, while enjoying an excursion in the small village of Haukeli from Vinje municipality, Telemark county, southern Norway.
The Hordaland County council was surprised by the discovery, with county conservator Per Morten Ekerhovd informing CNN in an interview that ‘It’s quite unusual to find remnants from the Viking age that are so well-preserved. It might be used today if you sharpened the edge.’
The Viking Age sword found by Norwegian hiker Goran Olsen. Image source: www.thornews.com
The object is 30-inch (or 77 centimeters) long, made of wrought iron and dated circa 750 AD. Despite the fact that the blade rusted during centuries of lying under snow and frost, it is still considered an extraordinary find by Per Morten Ekerhovd.
The Hordaland county conservator is also certain of the fact that the object is an exquisite discovery of the early medieval Norwegian history and a prominent symbol of the Norse culture, shedding thus light on the Viking Age.
It is highly possible that the owner of the sword was a very wealthy man during the early Middle Ages in Norway. Back in the day, wrought-iron armours and weaponry were quite expensive and strictly associated with the elite. It is also likely that the sword was part of a larger Norse burial mound, together with other goods.
It was revealed that the site from which the sword was unearthed was set to be studied in the spring of 2016. As for the sword itself, it was sent to the University Museum of Bergen for subsequent study and conservation.
Documentation sources and external links:
- Hiker stumbles upon ‘extraordinary’ 1,200-year-old Viking sword on www.theguardian.com
- Hiker finds 1,200-yr-old Viking sword in Norway on www.thelocal.no (in English)
- Hiker finds 1,200-year-old Viking sword in Norway on www.independent.co.uk
- Hiker Finds 1,200-year-old Viking Sword In Norway on www.nationalgeographic.com.au
- Man In Norway Finds 1,265-Year-Old Viking Sword While Hiking on www.huffingtonpost.com
- University Museum of Bergen on www.uib.no (in English and Norwegian)
- Snublet over 1.200 år gammelt vikingsverd on www.nrk.no (in Norwegian)
