Written by By Marco Valenzuela, CNN
An ancient Viking sword dating back to 700 AD has been unearthed by a “dead sea explorer,” according to local media in Denmark.
The sword, known as the Celtic Sven (or Norwegian crossbow) was found about 17 meters (60 feet) below the sea level in the Dohne Fjord, north of Bergen.
Danish media report the sword was found with a wooden shield, which the owner believes belonged to one of their ancestors.
Despite the sword’s age, it’s still in nearly working order with a spike under the handle, and an edge that had been polished. The sword has been preserved as it was presented in its original scabbard, according to a news release from DAN, a group that maintains the integrity of underwater discoveries.
Fossils of big and small fish, as well as “odd looking pearls and a gold spacer” are believed to have been collected on the sword’s voyage from the North Sea, to Norway, Denmark and Russia.
There are still many questions surrounding the sword’s discovery: who made it, where it was found, when was it last used, and who tossed it overboard.
It’s unknown why someone would have flung a sword into the sea, although in a study of 35 Viking ship burial sites in northern Norway, researchers said there was “very low risk of decapitation from enemy bullets.”
In other words, someone throwing away a sword may be more of a bargain than we think. The 7.26-inch sword is the largest Viking sword to be discovered in the North Sea so far.
The sword is on public display at the Copenhagen Museum of Shipwrecks, according to Danish media.
