“Daddy, I found a sword:” The incredible discovery made by an 8-year-old girl
This is the intriguing story of how an 8-year-old girl stumbled across a sword that experts say could pre-date the vikings.
In the summer of 2018, eight‑year‑old Saga Vanecek was enjoying a typical outing at the shallows of Lake Vidöstern in southern Sweden when she stumbled upon something extraordinary.
Initially believing she had picked up a stick while wading in the water, she soon realised it was a handle of a corrosion‑covered metal object.
She wrote in The Guardian: "I was crawling along the bottom of the lake on my arms and knees, looking for stones to skim, when my hand and knee felt something long and hard buried in the clay and sand. I pulled it out and saw that it was different from the sticks or rocks I usually find. One end had a point, and the other had a handle, so I pointed it up to the sky, put my other hand on my hip and called out, ‘Daddy, I’ve found a sword!’”
“Daddy went to show it to our neighbours, and they said it looked like a Viking sword. Daddy didn’t get to watch the football in the end.”
“It’s not every day that you step on a sword”
“I picked it up and was going to drop it back in the water, but it had a handle, and I saw that it was a little bit pointy at the end and all rusty,” she told The Local. “When he saw that it bent and was rusty, he came running up and took it.”
The family alerted the local experts at Jönköpings läns museum. The museum’s archaeologists determined the find was not a modern replica but a genuine relic dating back to roughly the 5th or 6th century AD, meaning it may predate the Viking era by several centuries.
“It’s not every day that you step on a sword in the lake!” Mikael Nordstrom from the museum said in quite stunningly obvious fashion.
“Why it has come to be there, we don’t know,” added Nordström. “When we searched a couple of weeks ago, we found another prehistoric object; a brooch from around the same period as the sword, so that means—we don’t know yet—but perhaps it’s a place of sacrifice. At first we thought it could be graves situated nearby the lake, but we don’t think that any more.”
You might remember the news story of an 8 year old child, Saga Vanecek, who found a pre-Viking sword in a lake in Sweden. In honour of her amazing find, it is with great pleasure that I am making Saga Vanecek the first Lego Classicist for 2019.https://t.co/umOsZ3PeU6 pic.twitter.com/nOwPAW8a9m
— Brick Classicists Empire (@BrickClassicist) January 11, 2019
Related stories
Measuring about 85 cm, the sword remained unusually intact: the wooden and leather parts of the scabbard had survived the centuries underwater.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment