The man discovered an iron piece as he was performing maintenance work over his land. However, what he discovered was more than just a metal scrap; it was a sword that dates back to several centuries ago.
1,000-year-old Swedish Crusade Sword
The unnamed man immediately reached out to local archaeologists to relay his finding about the apparently bent weapon. The item had a straight cross guard with an oval and three-sided pommel outfit that was similar to what Swedish Crusaders may have brought to battle.
The artifact then underwent radiocarbon dating, which revealed that it dates back to between A.D. 1050 and A.D. 1150.
X-ray analysis performed on the blade of the sword showed that it had an inscription. According to Juha Ruohonen, an instructor and archaeologist from the University of Turku's Department of Archaeology and Finnish History, who also led the excavation, archaeologists think that the text reads "in the name of Christ."
Swedish Crusades
Swedish Crusades comprised a series of raids that were fueled by religion. These went on during the 12th and 13th centuries. The raids were aimed at controlling present-day Finland and were initiated by the Swedish Crown and the Roman Catholic Church.
Romantic nationalists from the 19th century then cast these wars as Crusades. It is also possible that the first among the three crusades was actually a mythical and non-existent occurrence.
Other Discoveries
As surveys were continued in the area, archaeologists discovered another discovery: a previously unknown cemetery situated at the same area as the medieval stone church. This is the first time for a burial site from this era to be discovered in the Salo region of Finland.
Ruohonen explains that the site's location, which is the medieval stone church's immediate vicinity, could serve as evidence for an earlier church organization than thought. It was believed that the establishment of the Pertteli parish came with the Uskela chapel's founding during the 15th century.
As excavations continued, archaeologists found several artifacts that are believed to belong to just one burial. This includes a different sword's parts, coffin wood fragments, pendants with a cross shape, and a bronze-decorated leather belt with ornaments of bronze that have rosette patterns.
Ruohonen explains that the entire belt also had a buckle, decorations of animal heads, several end tips, and dividers for strats. The belt's leather parts remained partially preserved.
Aside from this, the ornaments of bronze also display several fabric fragments that may have been remnants of the deceased's clothing.
Archaeologists also discovered bones of humans in the burial grounds. Ruohunen explains that radiocarbon dating is being performed on these bones, but the results will be available by January.
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