6-Year-Old Finds 1,200-Year-Old Viking Sword in Norwegian Field
In late April, while searching for rocks for a school art project, 6-year-old Henrik Refsnes Mørtvedt stumbled upon a well-preserved single-edged iron sword in a field located in Brandbu, southern Norway. According to archaeologist Øystein Lia, the enegget sword dates back to between 750 and 850 C.E. and likely belonged to a prominent Viking warrior or landowner. Currently, the sword is undergoing analysis at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. Its discovery site is just 131 feet away from Iron Age burial mounds, indicating it may have served as a funerary offering. Viking swords are typically found in the area approximately every two years. Additionally, metal detectorists found over 4,700 silver coins in Rena, northeast of Brandbu, marking it as Norway's largest Viking Age hoard.
Key facts
- Henrik Refsnes Mørtvedt, age 6, found the sword in April in Brandbu, Norway.
- The sword is a single-edged iron blade called an enegget, roughly 1,200 years old.
- Archaeologist Øystein Lia dates it to 750–850 C.E., Viking Age.
- The sword likely belonged to a high-status male landowner and warrior.
- The artifact is preserved at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo.
- The find spot is 131 feet from Iron Age burial mounds.
- Viking swords are found in the region about once every two years.
- In April, over 4,700 Viking Age silver coins were found in Rena, Norway.
Entities
Institutions
- Innlandet County Cultural Heritage Department
- Museum of Cultural History
- Hadeland
- Fox News Digital
- Science Norway
Locations
- Brandbu
- Norway
- Oslo
- Rena
- Innlandet County
- Lindisfarne
- England