Latest news with #Herdzik
Fox News
08-04-2025
- General
- Fox News
Beach walk by man, woman yields ancient weapon discovery bearing 'secrets' from the past
A pair of pedestrians recently stumbled across an ancient deadly weapon in a peaceful and most unlikely location: a beach in Poland. The artifact, a 2,500-year-old dagger, was found on March 30. Poland's Museum of the History of the Kamieńska Land announced the discovery in a Facebook post later that day. The weapon was found in clay gravel on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The museum credited Jacek Ukowski and Katarzyna Herdzik for the discovery along with recent storms that helped bring the weapon to light. "Not often does nature reveal to us the secrets of the distant past," said the organization's post, which was translated from Polish to English. "And yet, this is exactly what happened over the Baltic Sea." Pictures posted by the museum reveal the intricate details of the weapon, which include crescent moons and crosses that resemble stars. "The dagger was preserved in excellent condition, which makes it one of the most valuable finds of its type in Poland," the museum said. "The handle is finished with a pointy head and decorated with an alternating ornament that goes down to the blade." The museum added that its experts are still not sure what the weapon was used for, but the artifact will undergo intensive examination in the future. "Surface decorations may indicate connections to a solar cult and suggest that the dagger had a ritual significance," the organization noted. "It could also have been equipped with a rich warrior." It added, "This dagger is undoubtedly a true work of art and an example of a high level of metallurgy. Perhaps it is imported and was cast in one of the workshops in Southern Europe." Herdzik told the museum the find was completely unexpected. "I didn't expect to make such a big discovery, but the moment I saw this item, I just knew it could be something valuable," she said. The Museum of the History of the Kamieńska Land also thanked Herdzik and Ukowski for their "alertness and quick reaction." "Thanks to their immediate reporting, this remarkable find was properly secured and saved for future generations," the museum wrote. "Their attitude sets a model for a responsible approach to cultural heritage and conservation of monuments."
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Metal detectorists searching beach after storm find 2,500-year-old weapon. See it
After a storm blew through, a pair of metal detectorists visited a beach in northern Poland. They hoped to unearth something interesting, but the 2,500-year-old weapon they uncovered left them stunned. Jacek Ukowski and Katarzyna Herdzik took metal detectors to the coast of the Baltic Sea on March 30 and scoured the eroded cliffside. One recently collapsed lump of clay set off the device, the Museum of the History of the Kamień Region said in a Facebook post. The pair dug into the damp clay and unearthed a highly decorated knife. Photos show the long, thin blade and its intricate design. Herdzik immediately knew they'd found something valuable, she later told the museum. Museum officials identified Ukowski and Herdzik's find as a well-preserved dagger dating back at least 2,500 years to the Hallstatt period. At the base of its blade, the ancient dagger has two rows of small crescent moon-like symbols surrounded by stars, the museum said and a close-up photo shows. More star-like shapes connected by lines run down the length of the blade, possibly symbolizing constellations. Another photo shows the dagger's handle, which has a series of alternating designs almost like a row of beads and rings. 'A true work of art!' Grzegorz Kurka, the director of the museum, told PAP, a Polish news outlet. 'I have not seen such a dagger in my experience with findings in Polish territories.' Ukowski told PAP that the almost 10-inch-long dagger was 'my most precious discovery.' Museum officials don't know what the 2,500-year-old dagger was used for but offered two possibilities: it could have been linked to a solar cult and had ritual significance, or it could have belonged to a wealthy warrior. The dagger will undergo further analysis to determine its composition and identify signs of usage, the museum said. Museum officials did not release the exact location of the find, only specifying it had been found in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, a coastal region of northwestern Poland bordering Germany. Facebook Translate and Google Translate were used to translate the Facebook posts from the Museum of the History of the Kamień Region.
