A man used a metal detector to locate a 10th-century Viking sword fragment in the Netherlands

A metal detector has led to a “first of its kind” ancient discovery in the Netherlands.

The discovery turned out to be a Viking sword fragment from the 10th century, the Fries Museum and the Fryske Akademy announced this in a press release.

On May 3, 2024, Sander Visser was exploring farmland near Witmarsum, the Netherlands, with his metal detector.

In the Netherlands, an ancient discovery was revealed last spring. The 10th-century Viking sword fragment was discovered by a metal detector and is currently under further examination. (Photo by Allison James)

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As he walked the grounds, something set off his metal detector.

After digging just under eight inches into the ground, Visser encountered an ancient object this was immediately recognizable to him as part of a pommel.

A distinct feature of the pommel that made it recognizable was the decoration displayed on it.

Boars' heads were at each end, which symbolized strength and courage in Viking culture, and were also linked to combat and protection, according to the press release.

Sander Visser made his discovery on May 3, 2024. His metal detector led him to the Viking sword fragment. (Photos by Jacob van Essen, Hoge Noorden)

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This ancient discovery provides a strong piece of evidence to support the role played by modern Friesland in connecting Viking networks, according to the press release.

“This extraordinary discovery shows that there is still much to discover about the Viking Age in Friesland, a larger region than today's Friesland, about which we have learned a lot through research in recent years,” Dr. Nelleke IJssennagger -van der Pluijm, director of the Fryske Akademy and expert on Friesland and the Viking world, said, according to the press release. “As this magnificent pommel hood is the first of its kind found in the Netherlands, it enriches our understanding of contacts between Friesland and the Viking world in Scandinavia and the British Isles, and adds a new dimension to our historical knowledge.”

This important discovery is just the beginning of a long path of research aimed at learning more about the history of the Viking artifact.

The Fries Museum and the Fryske Akademy are collaborating on their study of this artifact, which is scheduled for publication in late 2025, according to the press release.

The study of this ancient discovery has just begun. Further information is expected to be released in late 2025. (Photos by Jacob van Essen, Hoge Noorden)

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“By combining our areas of expertise, we can study this discovery from different perspectives, including the Frisian context, the Viking world and sword traditions,” said Dr Diana Spiekhout, curator of Middle Ages and culture mountains at the Fries Museum. said, according to the press release.

Discoveries made using a metal detector have gone around the world.

In late 2023, a group called Teignbridge History Finders discovered a treasure of 21 ancient coins which they named Okey Hoard in Devon, England.

As of September 2019, an archaeologist named George Ridgway collected over 680 ancient gold and silver coins with his metal detector in Suffolk.