Joanna Kocięda, a member of the “Ylavia” association, uncovered the weapon during a metal-detector search conducted with the consent of conservation authorities and the local forestry service.
The sword lay just beneath the surface in an area believed to have once been a wetland or bog.
Kocięda said she first located the pommel — “At first I thought it was a bicycle bell,” she recounted — before excavating the rest of the blade with her husband, who also belongs to Ylavia. A large medieval horseshoe was found nearby.
Kocięda, who has searched for artifacts for years, called it her most valuable discovery and noted the piece was transferred to Ostróda because Iława lacks its own museum.
Łukasz Szczepański, an archaeologist at the Ostróda Museum, gave a preliminary date of the 14th–15th centuries. He said the find appears to be a one-handed sword, pending measurements, and described it as a late-medieval piece recovered on the western edge of the former Teutonic Order state.
The museum plans to send the sword for conservation this month and later place it on permanent display.
The blade is broken into several sections. No remnants of scabbard fittings or a knight’s belt were found.
Founded in 2006, the Ylavia association has turned over numerous finds to heritage officials, including hoards of Roman denarii, Teutonic shillings and coins of King Casimir IV Jagiellonian, fragments of Celtic jewelry, and nearly 800 silver coins with ornament pieces from the 11th century discovered near the village of Mózgowo.
Members have also reported about 2,500 World War II unexploded ordnance items, which were subsequently removed by sappers.
(jh)
Source: PAP