A farmer in Studal, Norway, has made a remarkable discovery while preparing his field for sowing new grass. Øyvind Tveitane Lovr found a rare Viking sword, initially mistaking it for a piece of rusty farm equipment and almost discarding it. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the hilt of a sword and reported his find to the local authorities at the Rogaland County Council.
According to Norwegian law, all discoveries that fall under the Cultural Heritage Act sections 12 and 14 are considered state property and must be declared.
The surviving portion of the sword measures 37 cm in length, with approximately half of the blade missing. An X-ray examination conducted by archaeologists from the Archaeological Museum of the University of Stavanger revealed the outline of inscriptions, including a cross pattern and possibly letters along the remaining blade.
“This indicates that it might be a so-called VLFBERHT sword from the Viking Age or the early Middle Ages. These swords were high-quality weapons produced in the Frankish Empire (modern-day Germany) and were marked with the weapon manufacturer’s name,” explained Sigmund Oehrl from the University of Stavanger.
Out of the thousands of Viking swords found across Europe, only 170 bear these inscriptions, with just 45 examples discovered in Norway. Professor Oehrl suggests that the Studal sword was likely brought by Vikings who sailed into the Lovrafjord and dates back to between AD 900 and 1050.
Archaeologists have investigated the find site but have not discovered any further traces of the missing sword elements or related objects.
