In November 2024, the Army Museum in Białystok unveiled an impressive historical treasure: a Viking-era sword, dated between the 9th and 10th centuries. This exceptional discovery was made by a museum employee, Szczepan Skibicki, during a dive in the Supraśl River in the Podlachia region of Poland in the summer of 2022. The sword, accompanied by fragments of pottery, nails, and other small metal objects, stands out for its state of preservation and the cultural richness it represents.
The discovery of this sword has been described as a stroke of luck comparable to winning the lottery. Skibicki located the weapon in an area where the river’s flow had eroded a sand deposit, exposing this historical artifact. After its recovery, the sword was kept in a humid environment to prevent deterioration and handed over to the relevant authorities for evaluation and subsequent restoration.
Before being officially added to the museum’s collection, the sword underwent a rigorous legal process overseen by the Provincial Conservator of Monuments. Once this stage was completed, it was sent to the Institute of Archaeology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń for restoration. This process, which lasted about five months, included the careful removal of mineralized layers and treating the weapon in a controlled environment to avoid excessive drying that could compromise its structure.
According to Dr. Ryszard Kazimierczak, a specialist on the conservation team, the weapon is notable not only for its shape and design but also for the preservation of organic elements on the hilt, something extremely rare in finds of this kind. Additionally, the sword bears marks of its use in battles, evident in micro-cracks and chips accumulated over more than a thousand years.
Preliminary studies suggest that this sword was forged in the late 9th or early 10th century, likely in a context linked to Viking culture or Baltic communities. Its design and manufacturing technique place it among a small group of similar weapons found in Poland, underscoring its uniqueness. Currently, only three or four swords of this type are known in the entire country.
The history behind this artifact adds an aura of mystery. Historians speculate that it may have been lost during a crossing of the Supraśl River or in an armed confrontation. It is even possible that its owner perished at the site, leaving this object as a silent testament to an era of conquests and conflicts.
The sword now forms part of the permanent collection of the Army Museum in Białystok, where it shares space with another similar discovery: a sword unearthed in the 1970s during drainage works in the same river.
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