This Treasure Hunter’s Latest Find? A 1,000-Year-Old Viking Sword.

The lengthy, skinny piece of steel seemed like a scaffolding pole when Trevor Penny noticed it on the banks of an English river final November.

That wouldn’t have shocked Mr. Penny, who, whereas training his magnet fishing interest, has unearthed home goods, instruments and different steel particles from the waterways close to his Oxfordshire residence. (Magnet fishing is just about what it seems like: A powerful magnet is hooked up to a rope, which is then tossed right into a physique of water.)

But his discover that day was far more dramatic: a rusty Viking sword that had been there for greater than 1,000 years.

The sword, discovered within the River Cherwell and recognized by an archaeological group that tracks public finds, most probably dates to a interval between 850 A.D. and 975 A.D. Mr. Penny stated he handed it over to the Oxfordshire Museums Service this week, the place it’s anticipated to be placed on show after restoration.

When Mr. Penny, 52, realized what he had discovered, he contacted an area official chargeable for figuring out the general public’s archaeological finds.

The discovery was “one further puzzle piece that can cast light on our shared heritage,” stated that official, Edward Caswell, who paperwork Oxfordshire finds for the Portable Antiquities Scheme run by the British Museum. More evaluation was wanted, he cautioned, however specialists confirmed that the sword match with others from that period.

“We do find Viking weapons, including swords, deposited in rivers in England,” stated Jane Kershaw, an affiliate professor of archaeology on the University of Oxford. About 70 such swords have been present in Britain, she stated, and whereas Mr. Penny’s sword may need been dropped accidentally, they had been additionally usually deliberately thrown in waterways as a part of a ritual.

“Rivers were seen as gateways to other worlds, where gods and other creatures or spirits might live,” she stated, including that archaeologists interpreted such rituals as a Viking plea for defense or luck, maybe in battle.

Many such weapons have been discovered within the north and east of the nation, Dr. Kershaw stated. She referred to as the sword a “rare example” of viking exercise within the space.

“It is outside the normal find zone for these weapons,” she stated. “But the Vikings, they were active in that area. There is a lot that we don’t know about from their activities.”

Hobbyists are more and more making essential discoveries, and Dr. Kershaw stated it was vital that they report their finds. “It’s hugely valuable information,” she stated. “As long as they are recording it, this is having archaeology that otherwise would be lost.”

But who owns artifacts which can be discovered right this moment could be a thorny situation, and may rely on whether or not they’re labeled as “treasure.”

According to the Treasure Act in Britain, steel objects greater than 300 years outdated when discovered have to be reported to the authorities inside two weeks. Museums have the possibility to assert objects, and finders and landowners could obtain a reward, after an object is valued whether it is deemed to be a treasure.

Mr. Penny discovered the sword on land owned by the Canal & River Trust, a charity that manages lots of England’s inland waterways. The group has banned magnet fishing on its property, saying that it may be “dangerous” and that sharp objects might trigger issues for guests.

But the charity referred to as the sword an “exciting find,” and it has agreed with Mr. Penny to switch any potential possession rights over the sword to an area museum.

Since he started magnet fishing three years in the past, Mr. Penny has helped dredge up different discoveries, together with outdated railway instruments and a grenade suspected to be from World War II that needed to be safely detonated by the authorities.

“It’s a great way to meet people,” stated Mr. Penny, who usually brings the steel he collects to an area scrapyard. “We get to talk to lots of people passing, who all thank us for cleaning the environment.”

He posts about his finds to an area magnet-fishing group, and up to now has no plans to cease.

“I will keep fishing,” Mr. Penny stated. “Hopefully with permission to do so.”