Last month, a worker uncovered a medieval sword, while he was using a backhoe to drain a peat bog. At just over three pounds the 4 foot long sword was a fine example of Medieval workmanship. Researchers are saying that the remarkably well-preserved sword dates from about the 14th century and was found in a peat bog just outside the Polish city of Hrubieszow according to reports in National Geographic. The worker then donated it to the local Stanislaw Staszic Museum.
In a statement made to the Polish public science website, PAP, the museum’s director said, “it is possible that a knight was sucked into the marsh after a string of unfortunate circumstances, or that [the sword] was simply lost.” According to the History Blog, the knight might’ve worked at a castle built in Hrubieszów in the late 14th century.
With that in mind, the museum’s researchers are hoping to find out just who the weapon belonged too, or at least what family it is from. Swords from that period usually had a specific mark engraved into the top of the blade near the grip. Museum officials said they plan to look for the engraving hoping that it will relate to a specific knight or family. They will also be analyzing the blacksmith’s mark described as, “an isosceles cross inside an heraldic shield,” according to the History Blog. That mark is in better condition as it is normally covered by the wood, bone or antler that made-up the hilt of the weapon.
After the sword was given to the Stanislaw Staszic Museum, it was given a brief examination and then carefully packed and sent off to Warsaw. There it will be studied in greater detail and undergo a restoration process before being returned to the Stanislaw Staszic Museum sometime in late October. In the meantime, archaeologists plan to search the bog for other artifacts.
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