Latest news with #Veluwe
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
1,000-year-old medieval sword emerges from Dutch river after chance discovery: 'Barely corroded'
A remarkable medieval sword with rare symbols was recently put on display in a Dutch museum, over a year after it was found by construction workers unexpectedly. The discovery of the sword was announced by the Netherlands' National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) in Leiden on June 24. The artifact, named the Linschoten Sword, was found in March 2024 during "maintenance dredging activities," the museum said in a press release. Construction workers were struck by a "long piece of iron" while cleaning a small river known as the Korte Linschoten, the statement noted. The discovery turned out to be a sword measuring over three feet in length, dating back between 1050 and 1150 A.D. Pictures show the sword with a long crossguard and a pommel shaped like a Brazil nut, the museum noted. "The blade is sharp on both edges and inlaid with strips of gold-colored copper, forming circular motifs featuring a cross and an 'endless knot' flanked by three lines on each side," the RMO said. Medieval swords are "rare finds." The sword was likely made with high-quality iron that was mined locally in the Veluwe hills. Experts believe it was deliberately deposited into the river, as there was no trace of a scabbard or sheath. The museum also noted that medieval swords were "deeply personal possessions." "They were either buried with their owner or – alternatively – ritually deposited into water," the release noted. "In the latter case, they are often exceptionally well-preserved." RMO curator Annemarieke Willemsen told Fox News Digital that medieval swords are "rare finds." "When [swords are found], [they're] often well-preserved because they are made of top-quality steel," she explained. Many swords were "deposited in a river, where they rested for centuries under the water table, in an anaerobic environment," the curator added. "We have a similar sword with the same shape and date in our collections with the name 'Ulfberht' on the blade that was found in the river Schelde," she said. "We have [many] more swords from the Middle Ages more broadly.'" "Only the organic components – such as the wooden grip and any leather wrappings – have succumbed to time." In its statement, the museum noted that, though the sword was "remarkably well-preserved," it's possible that some components have decayed after 1,000 years. "Only the organic components – such as the wooden grip and any leather wrappings – have succumbed to time," the RMO's press release added. "The iron is barely corroded due to the oxygen-poor environment of the wet soil. Traces of the wooden hilt are still visible on the preserved sword." The sword's remarkable preservation offers a rare connection to the 11th century, a period marked by frequent conflict in the Netherlands. "During this period, the Bishop of Utrecht held authority in the region, although the Counts of Holland and Flanders were rising in power," the museum said. "This era also saw a shift in military tactics and weaponry: vertical slashing from horseback gave way to horizontal thrusting between pieces of armor," the officials added. "This sword, which could be wielded with one hand, embodies that transitional phase – suited to both techniques."
CNN
24-06-2025
- General
- CNN
1,000-year-old sword decorated with spiritual symbols found in Dutch river
A medieval sword has gone on display at a museum in the Netherlands after its chance discovery during a dredging operation on a river in the center of the country. The sword was found during routine maintenance at the Linschoten Estate on March 1, 2024, and has been donated to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden, according to a statement from the museum on Tuesday. Dating from around 1050 to 1150 and measuring one meter (3.3 feet) in length, the sword is inlaid with gold-colored copper forming the shape of a cross and a spiritual symbol known as an endless knot, the museum added. It features a long crossguard and a nut-shaped pommel, said the museum, which added that it was made from high-quality iron mined at Veluwe. 'The sword remains remarkably well-preserved after a thousand years. Only the organic components – such as the wooden grip and any leather wrappings – have succumbed to time,' reads the statement. 'The iron is barely corroded due to the oxygen-poor environment of the wet soil. Traces of the wooden hilt are still visible on the preserved sword,' it added. It appears that the sword was deposited in the river on purpose, and there were no traces of a scabbard found nearby. 'Medieval swords were deeply personal possessions: they were either buried with their owner or – alternatively – ritually deposited into water,' said the museum. 'In the latter case, they are often exceptionally well preserved,' it added. At the time it was forged, the area would have been ruled by the Bishop of Utrecht, a nearby city, although he would have been in frequent conflict with the Counts of Holland and Flanders, who were becoming increasingly powerful. 'This era also saw a shift in military tactics and weaponry: vertical slashing from horseback gave way to horizontal thrusting between pieces of armour,' said the museum. 'This sword, which could be wielded with one hand, embodies that transitional phase – suited to both techniques.'
CNN
24-06-2025
- General
- CNN
1,000-year-old sword decorated with spiritual symbols found in Dutch river
A medieval sword has gone on display at a museum in the Netherlands after its chance discovery during a dredging operation on a river in the center of the country. The sword was found during routine maintenance at the Linschoten Estate on March 1, 2024, and has been donated to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden, according to a statement from the museum on Tuesday. Dating from around 1050 to 1150 and measuring one meter (3.3 feet) in length, the sword is inlaid with gold-colored copper forming the shape of a cross and a spiritual symbol known as an endless knot, the museum added. It features a long crossguard and a nut-shaped pommel, said the museum, which added that it was made from high-quality iron mined at Veluwe. 'The sword remains remarkably well-preserved after a thousand years. Only the organic components – such as the wooden grip and any leather wrappings – have succumbed to time,' reads the statement. 'The iron is barely corroded due to the oxygen-poor environment of the wet soil. Traces of the wooden hilt are still visible on the preserved sword,' it added. It appears that the sword was deposited in the river on purpose, and there were no traces of a scabbard found nearby. 'Medieval swords were deeply personal possessions: they were either buried with their owner or – alternatively – ritually deposited into water,' said the museum. 'In the latter case, they are often exceptionally well preserved,' it added. At the time it was forged, the area would have been ruled by the Bishop of Utrecht, a nearby city, although he would have been in frequent conflict with the Counts of Holland and Flanders, who were becoming increasingly powerful. 'This era also saw a shift in military tactics and weaponry: vertical slashing from horseback gave way to horizontal thrusting between pieces of armour,' said the museum. 'This sword, which could be wielded with one hand, embodies that transitional phase – suited to both techniques.'
