Polish fisherman finds medieval sword in Warsaw river

A fisherman has discovered a well-preserved medieval sword in the Vistula, Poland's longest river. The item has now been handed over to the authorities, who will ensure that it is properly preserved and seek to ascertain its provenance.

On Tuesday, Andrzej Korpikiewicz visited the Vistula riverbank near the Tarchomin district in Warsaw. Water levels are currently at record lows following a recent heatwave and lack of rain.

He spotted a metal object, which he told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) he initially thought was a hinge. However, after extracting it and cleaning it up, he realized it was a sword embossed with a cross emblem.

Having traveled to the river on an electric scooter, Korpikiewicz realized that this would not be a practical way to carry the sword home. So he hid it in the grass, went home, then returned to the site by car and placed the sword in the boot.

Before handing over the sword to the relevant authorities, Korpikiewicz contacted an amateur metal detectorist friend, who told him that such items should remain soaked in water as long as possible in order not to deteriorate.

So he wrapped the sword in t-shirts soaked in water from the Vistula. The artifact then spent the night in his car and, the next morning, Korpikiewicz and his wife brought it to Warsaw's conservator of monuments.

“I immediately thought that it would have to be given to someone who knows about such items,” he told the Polish Press Agency (PAP). “[At the conservator's office] we were met with great excitement and surprise, because it turns out that it is probably a big find.”

“It's great that he knew what to do. He brought it to our office on Wednesday,” the capital's conservator, Michał Krasucki, told PAP. “We confirmed that it is a medieval sword. We will know more after further analyses.”

Olaf Popkiewicz, an archaeologist who runs a popular YouTube channel, has suggested that the sword dates to the 13th century. The item has now been handed over to the metal conservation workshop of the State Archaeological Museum for preservation work.

Last year, a sword believed to be over 1,000 years old was found at the bottom of the Vistula river in the city of Włocławek.

Main image credit: Capital Conservator of Monuments/Facebook