Boy Finds 1,300-Year-Old Sword in Norway

Why this is here: The sword dates back to between 550 and 800 AD, a period just before the start of the Viking Age in Scandinavia.

Six-year-old Henrik found a 1,300-year-old sword while on a school trip in Gran, Norway. He noticed the rusty metal in a ploughed field and brought it to his teachers. Archaeologists later identified it as a single-edged sword from the late Merovingian period, dating from 550 to 800 AD.

The weapon is rare, representing a style used in Scandinavia before the Viking Age. Though heavily corroded, its shape remains visible. Experts transferred the sword to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo for preservation and further study.

Researchers plan to use X-rays and metal analysis to learn more about its creation and its owner. The Hadeland region’s history of Iron Age settlements suggests the sword may offer insights into life before the Vikings. Similar swords have surfaced in Norway before, but many questions about this particular blade remain unanswered as the investigation proceeds.