A sword and the metal parts of a scabbard, belt and two knives dating to the late 14th/early 15th century have been unearthed near the Olsztyn, northeastern Poland. Except for a coating of rust, the sword is in excellent condition. The exact location of the find is being kept secret to deter treasure hunters while an archaeologist prepare to excavate the find site.

The sword was discovered by metal detectorist Aleksander Miedwiediew who found two 15th century battle axe heads last summer at a metal detector rally at the site of the Battle of Grunwald. He’s basically a medieval weapons magnet. He’s a very responsible one, thankfully, and he turned the sword set in to the Marshal of Warmia and Masuria.

It’s possible that this set too is related to the battle which took place near Stębark, less than 30 miles southwest of Olsztyn, on July 15th, 1410. More than 50,000 combatants, allied Polish and Lithuanian forces against the German Teutonic Knights, took the field there. It was one of the largest battles of medieval Europe and the Teutonic Knights were beaten so decisively that they lost their entire leadership to death or imprisonment. With an encounter of so enormous a scale, operations go beyond the boundaries of the battlefield, so the sword may have been lost in the maelstrom.

How exactly it could have been lost is a mystery. The sword was a very high-value item, the equivalent of a new car today, so it would not have been discarded.

 “It’s puzzling that no one had taken hold of these items, very precious at the time. Maybe we will find the remains of a knight whom these things belonged to,” [director of the Battle of Grunwald Museum Szymon] Drej added.

The sword and accessories have been transferred to the Battle of Grunwald Museum where they will be cleaned and conserved.

“The weapons will now undergo conservation and research process. We have a theory as to the sword’s medieval owner’s status, and we’re curious what’s underneath the layer of rust” – Drej added.