In November 2023, fisherman Trevor Penny was in for a rare stroke of luck while using a magnet device to search for valuable lost items on the bottom of the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England.
Penny’s device dragged a metal object from the riverbed that he did not initially recognize, until his friend remarked “It looks like a sword.”
Penny uploaded an image of the sword to Google Image Search and discovered it was from the Viking era. He then reported the find to a local official to contact archaeology experts for examination. Examination later confirmed it was an authentic old sword – a rare archaeologically Viking weapon dated between 850-975 AD.
Although there was initial dispute between Penny and landowner River Trust, who did not allow magnet fishing on their property, the parties ultimately reached an amicable resolution.
River Trust said they would take no legal action if the important relic was donated to a museum, and Penny agreed to return the Viking sword to Oxford Museum. Experts at Oxford Museum said it is rare to find an ancient sword of such historical importance still intact.
The discovery of the Viking sword in the River Cherwell provides solid evidence of the Viking presence and activities in England, giving historians and archaeologists valuable artifacts relating to the culture, weaponry and craftsmanship of the time period.
Further in-depth study of the ancient sword will help shed more light on the Viking Age and their interactions with the British Isles.
The Vikings first landed in England in the 8th century, beginning with a raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England, in 793. They then conducted repeated raids across the British Isles, escalating after 835 when larger Viking fleets began landing on the English coast and fighting the Royal army.
Throughout the 10th century, English kings gradually re-conquered formerly Viking-occupied territories and unified them into a new kingdom called Englalond. However, Viking invasions and rule continued into the 11th century, ending after the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 with the defeat of the Norwegian king Harald III Sigurdsson to the Saxons.
The ancient Viking sword is now preserved at Oxford Museum and will soon be displayed for public viewing.
