Beginner detectorist discovers extremely rare Bronze Age sword in Finland

A bronze sword, broken into seven pieces, was discovered in the historic village of Panelia in south-western Finland with the help of metal detectors. According to local archaeologists, this is an extremely rare find, with only a handful of swords found in Finland so far.than 200 bronze objects from the Bronze Age, of which only 25 are daggers or swords and their parts.

The bronze sword was found at the end of July by novice detectorist Matti Rintamaa, who had bought his first metal detector just under two weeks earlier! After an initial test and search of his own backyard, he moved on to his childhood garden at his parents' house, who still live there. He first found several small pieces of metal a few inches long. Then he discovered a larger piece of bronze that showed a distinct texture on the surface.

So he took pictures of the objects and sent them to his friend, an experienced detectorist. He told him that it looked like really old bronze and referred Rintamaa to the Finnish National Council for Ancient Monuments. After seeing detailed photos of the find, the authority's experts confirmed that it was indeed a bronze object: "...2,000 to 4,000 years old, certainly no less."

An archaeologist was dispatched to the site and carefully examined the site. He also found the hilt of a sword and part of the point. All seven parts recovered from the yard lay relatively shallow - the deepest part of the sword hung just 15 centimetres below the turf. Archaeologists also believe that this is not the original context of the sword's deposition. It is likely that the sword was moved from deeper layers closer to the surface during construction work decades ago, or was brought here with excavated soil from elsewhere.

The present-day village of Panelia was founded in the Middle Ages, but even before the Iron Age people were already prosperous on the then shores of the Litorina Sea. Later, the sea bay dried up and the settlement was abandoned. The original context of the sword can only be guessed at, but it may once have been deliberately sacrificed to the coastal waters of the ancient Bay of Panels. In the Bronze Age the area was densely populated, as evidenced by the relatively numerous finds for Finland (especially on the Hiiumaa moor) and the nearby burial sites, including Finland's largest Bronze Age burial mound, Kuninkaanhauta (loosely translated as "King's Tomb").

The sword will be permanently displayed in the Satakunta Regional Museum after conservation and examination.

Roman Nemec

Sources: yle.fi, pori.fi, satakunnankansa.fi