Man In Norway Finds 1,265-Year-Old Viking Sword While Hiking

Here’s a good reason to go outdoors this weekend.

Earlier this month, Goran Olsen was on a hike in the Norwegian village of Haukeli when he caught sight of a 30-inch object under some rocks. It turned out to be a 1,265-year-old, wrought iron Viking sword.

The artifact is believed to be from A.D. 750, Norway’s Hordaland County Office said. It’s in unusually good condition, with a bit of rust on the surface that accumulated after being buried under frost and snow for centuries.

The sword is now safe with the University Museum of Bergen, whose researchers will preserve it and begin a research expedition in Haukeli in spring 2016 – after the winter snow melts. The University thanked Olsen for helping the researchers discover more about the country’s history.

Glacial melt driven by climate change is leading to more archaeological discoveries. In 2011, scientists discovered a pre-Viking-era tunic, believed to date back to A.D. 300, near a thawing glacier in south Norway. In September 2013, scientists also found the remains of a horse from the Iron Age in a melted glacier in Oppland County, Norway. In the summer of 2014, some 400 objects resurfaced after deeper layers of glaciers and ice sheets in Oppland County melted.

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