newYou can now listen to Fox News articles.
Archaeologists recently discovered early medieval weapons Artifacts unearthed from a lake in Poland thought to be connected to the country’s first rulers.
The First Pistos Museum in Lednica announced the discovery in a Facebook post on November 12. The underwater excavation took place at Lake Lednica in central-western Poland, about 240 kilometers west of Warsaw.
The lake surrounds the island of Ostorf Lednicki, which served as a huge royal stronghold in the late 10th century.
Lost royal palace destroyed in bloody invasion revived by river, archaeologist says
Over the years, excavators have discovered approximately 280 artifacts in the lake, including 145 axes, 64 spear heads, eight swords, and most recently, four spears.
Researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń First Pistos Museum I found a spear in Lednica.
This weapon dates back to the time of Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave, central figures in the rise of medieval Poland. (DeAgostini, via Getty Images, M. Trzyński, Museum Pievszów Piastów on Lednici, via Facebook)
The history of this weapon dates back to the time of Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave, two legendary figures in the formation of medieval Poland.
Museum Director Andrzej Kowalczyk told FOX News Digital. Lake Lednica “I have a surprise for you.”[ed] Scientists have been studying it for decades” – and believe the weapon only adds to the site’s enduring mysteries.
“Decorated socketed spearheads are an exceptional example of early medieval weaponry from northern and eastern Europe,” he said.
Click here to sign up for our lifestyle newsletter
“Three similar specimens were found in the waters of Lake Lednica in the 1990s, but never before have they been so richly decorated, with the entire socket made of a colored metal alloy.”
The elaborate decorations on the weapons and the precious metals they are made from are reminiscent of a “noble warrior.”[s]” Kowalczyk said.
Experts say similar spears were discovered in the 1990s, but none were as richly decorated as the one now discovered. (M. Popek, Pievsích Piastów on Lednici Museum, via Facebook)
Artifact “adds new elements to the largest collection of early medieval weapons” in europe It was discovered in a single archaeological site,” he added.
The most interesting find, Kowalczyk said, was the extremely well-preserved “prince’s spear.”
Click here for more lifestyle stories
“The steel blade, or leaf, is set in an intricately decorated socket that still contains fragments of the shaft,” he said.
“Expert studies have shown that most of its surface is covered with gold, silver, bronze, and other alloys.…There are also interlaced designs in which the sharp edges resemble claws or beaks, complemented by rows of small dots that form the background of the pattern.”
Excavators recovered hundreds of weapons from the lake, including 145 axes and more than 60 spear points. (M. Trzciński, Pievśv Piastov on Lednici Museum, via Facebook)
Experts say there are two main theories as to why the weapon was left in the lake.
In the first theory, archaeologists believe that the weapon fell into the lake during a battle for the fortress of Lednica, probably during the invasion of Poland by Czech Duke Bretislaus in the 1030s.
Test yourself with our latest lifestyle quiz
On the one hand, the weapon may have been used ceremonially. placed in water The museum said it was offered as an offering even though Christianization was underway.
“Such practices have been known in many parts of Europe since early times,” Kowalczyk said.
“Water was perceived as a gateway to the world of the dead, and throwing valuables into it was an act with deep symbolic meaning,” said the museum director. (M Trzciński, Pievszów Piastów on Lednici Museum, via Facebook)
“Water was perceived as a gateway to the world of the dead, and throwing valuables into it was an act with deep symbolic meaning.”
Mr. Kowalczyk emphasized that Ostórów Lednicki has a special importance in Polish history, including being the location of King Mieszko I. Probably baptized.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It should be emphasized that the oldest Christian liturgical objects ever discovered in Poland were found in Ostrow Lednicki, including the stauroteke (reliquary of the True Cross), an ivory liturgical comb, a three-armed iron censer with a hole for hanging, and a bone ornament on the reliquary,” he said.
