“First of its kind” Viking sword fragment discovered in the Netherlands

Description

A remarkable fragment of a Viking sword, described as a “first of its kind,” has been unearthed near the village of Witmarsum in the northern Netherlands. The artifact was identified as a pommel cap—a decorative endpiece from the hilt of a 10th-century gilded sword.
Dr. Nelleke IJssennagger-van der Pluijm, director of the Fryske Akademy, emphasized the importance of the find in a press statement, saying, “This extraordinary find shows that there is still a lot to discover about the Viking Age in Frisia. It enriches our understanding of Viking and Frisian interactions.”