In a moment right out of a King Arthur tale, a local man in Perttel, Finland, made an amazing discovery.
While Arthur pulled a sword from a stone to become king, this man pulled a sword from the ground, opening the door to a major historical find.
The man found the sword in August after a rainfall, just 75 miles northwest of Helsinki. According to the University of Turku, this wasn’t just any sword; it was about 1,000 years old.
Soon after the discovery, archaeologists were on the scene.
They suspected that where there’s one ancient item, there’s often more. And they were right.
They found other blades, human bones, and bits of what could be old coffins. One standout item was a “rare leather belt decorated with intricately designed pieces of bronze,” the university said.
They even found clothes that likely belonged to people buried long ago.
But here’s where it gets even more fascinating.
The dig revealed not just one, but at least eight graves.
University officials think this is just the beginning and say there could be many more graves, possibly even up to 200.
What makes all this even more important is the time period these finds come from.
Researchers believe the cemetery dates back to the Crusader-era, between 1050 and 1150 AD.
During that time, Christian rulers in Europe launched military campaigns, known as the Crusades, to take control of the Holy Land.
Sweden also went on its own crusade in Finland and other nearby areas, according to historical texts.
So, this isn’t just about finding old objects; it’s like a window into a specific period of history.
It tells us more about what Finland and its people experienced during the time of the Crusades.
It’s a reminder that sometimes, after a good rain, the earth gives up its secrets, waiting for someone to find them.