Medieval knight's 1,000-year-old tomb is unearthed beneath ice cream shop in ‘insane' archaeological breakthrough
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A DEVELOPMENT at the site of an old ice cream shop has led to a major discovery.
Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the tomb of a medieval knight beneath the structure.
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The remains of what is believed to be a medieval knight were discovered under an ice cream shop
Credit: Facebook
The remains were found under a busy street corner in Gdańsk, a city in northern Poland.
This area is known for its rich history, with other archaeological dicoveries made at the same site.
A statement from Poland's Provincial Council for the Protection of Monuments detailed the finding.
Medieval era
The grave is thought to be from either the 13th or 14th century, according to a report shared on the city's website.
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It also revealed that the knight measured about 5-feet-6 and is estimated to have been about 40 years old at the time of his death.
Researchers believe the man was a knight due to a hand-carved limestone tombstone over his grave, which depicted a knight holding a shield.
Popular Mechanics reported that the coat of arms on the carved shield has worn away, meaning researchers are currently unable to determine who the knight served.
While the city of Gdańsk was ruled by the Teutonic Knights in 1308, the buried knight could also have served a number of different rulers.
According to experts, other contenders include a Sobieslaw dynasty or a German house.
Researchers with the Polish archaeological company ArcheoScan have been studying the area since 2023.
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This project took place after a popular local ice cream parlor, which had stood on the site for 60 years, was sold to developers.
Developers are required by law to allow archaeologists to survey the site before any new structures could be built, according to Science in Poland.
Previous discoveries
The outlet reported that researchers had previously discovered the remains of a large wooden church at the site and over 200 burial sites and six tombstones.
"What we're unearthing here is insane," Sylwia Kurzyńska, a member of the archaeological team, told the Polish Associated Press.
She also revealed that a fragment of the knight's chainmail boot and leggings were preserved.
The tombstone and skeleton have since been taken to the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, where they will undergo further study, reports Smithsonian Magazine.
Researchers plan to learn more about who the knight was and where he came from.
They said they hope to release more about their findings sometime in 2026.
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The remains of a lost Roman city have been uncovered on a popular holiday island.
And the lost tomb of a 1,700-year-old king was uncovered in Mayan temple.
Plus, the eerie "hybrid" skull that belonged to a "half human, half neanderthal girl".
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