600-year-old sword and equipment found "in exceptional condition"

The Marshal's Office of Warmia and Masuria informed about the finding on Thursday, saying in a statement that "such findings happen once in decades".

"It's a phenomenal set of a sword, a sheath, a belt and two knives. Taking into account that these artifacts date back somewhere between 14th and 15th century, and thus spent approx. 600 years below the earth, they have been preserved in an exceptionally good condition" - said the finder of the items Aleksander Miedwiediew. He added that in the times of their origin, such items had been extremely valuable - their price would match the price of a car today.

Miedwiediew found the items near Olsztyn. The exact location has not been revealed, as the director of the Battle of Grunwald Museum Szymon Drej said preparations for archeological exploration of that area were ongoing. "It's puzzling that no one had taken hold of these items, very precious at the time. Maybe we will find the remains of a knight whom these things belonged to" - Drej added.

The finder of the weapons took them to the Marshal of Warmia and Masuria Marek Brzezin. Due to the pandemic, the event was held behind closed doors, and the office informed about it later on. The marshal passed the findings on to the Battle of Grunwald Museum where they will undergo conservation.

"The weapons will now undergo conservation and research process. We have a theory as to the sword's medieval owner's status, and we're curious what's underneath the layer of rust" - Drej added.

Aleksander Miedwiediew has other sensational findings under his belt. In the fall in 2020, during the annual archeological research at the Fields of Grunwald, he found two perfectly-preserved battle axes. They were also taken to the Grunwald museum.