In 2023, two British men used strong magnets to salvage metal objects in the river. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "There's something in the water!" "I saw that the magnet was caught by an unknown underwater object and couldn't pull it up. However, what happened later was completely beyond their expectations.
This scene took place on the banks of the Chelwell River in Oxfordshire, England. At that time, Trevor Penny, an Englishman, and his friends were using magnets to salvage metal objects by the river. For two hours, they salvaged only some iron scaffolding parts.
Therefore, they decided that there would be no more big gains and were ready to call it a day and go home. Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected discovery!
The two of them pulled the rope hard together, and finally pulled the magnet back to shore. Surprisingly, the magnet was no longer attached to the scaffolding part, but a long, rusty metal thing!
The two held it in their hands and examined it, and Trevor Penny thought it might be a metal component that had fallen off from a ship long ago. And his friends believe that it is more like a sword.
Upon returning home, Trevor Penny posted a photo of the strange object recovered from the river on the Internet. Unexpectedly, it attracted the attention of countless netizens. Most people think that this is a rusty sword.
In order to unravel the mystery of the metal object, Trevor Penny approached Oxfordshire's liaison officer responsible for documenting public archaeological discoveries and handed it over to an expert for examination.
Soon, the results came in. Experts agree that this is a sword from the Viking Age more than 1,100 years ago! It is dated between about 850 and 975 AD.
In the 8th century, the Vikings set foot on British soil. Viking invasions and domination continued until the 11th century. After centuries of strife, England gradually reconquered the territories seized by the Vikings and called it England.
At present, this ancient Viking sword salvaged from the river is in the custody of the Oxford Museum in the United Kingdom, and after restoration, it may be exhibited to the public.
