The sword was found in three pieces by two metal detector enthusiasts, independent of each other, in the Jatta/Gausel area in Stavanger, already renowned for the grave of the so-called Gausel queen. Found in 1883, it is considered to be one of the richest women’s graves from the Viking Age.
Like the women buried in the Oseberg ship, the Gausel queen had rich artifacts from the British Isles with her in her grave.
The sword would have been one of the most spectacularly ornamented and heaviest types of swords from the Viking Age. The blade is missing, but the hilt has unique details in gold and silver, and exquisite details not previously known.
Only about 20 such swords have been found in Norway—out of a total of around 3,000 Viking sword finds.
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The sword is currently under conservation at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger. It is still difficult to see the details in the hilt, but the decor includes gilded elements of the typical animal styles found during the Iron and Viking Age, between ca. 550 and 1050.
“It is very exciting to work on a find like this. It is challenging work, but we uncover new details daily,” conservator Cora Oschmann, in charge of the conservation, says.
Read more: Archaeology News Network
