Mushroom Hunter Stumbles on 3,300-Year-Old Iron Sword and Bronze Axe in Forested Hillside Near His Home

A mushroom gatherer surprisingly uncovered an ancient sword and a bronze axe during his foraging in 2020. Roman Novák, made this discovery in a forest near his home in the Czech Republic, Live Science reported. He soon informed the experts and found that the artifacts dated back to around 3,300 years. 

Novák went out in search of mushrooms after a rainstorm in his hometown Jesenick. It is a popular hobby in his neighborhood to look for mushrooms after rainstorms because the fungi's fruiting body quickly swells after such a weather phenomenon.

While searching the nearby forest he saw a hint of sword. "I saw a piece of metal sticking out of some stones," he remembered. "I kicked it and found that it was a blade, part of a sword. I then dug some more to find a bronze axe."

Experts found out the discoveries were from 1300 B.C., Daily Mail reported. During that period Central Europe's Urnfield culture was just emerging and Jesenick was sparsely populated. Three millennia ago the iron swords were sculpted into shape by hammering while still red hot, while the bronze ones were made by heating the metal until it turned liquid and then put into shape by pouring it into a mold. Researchers believe the artifacts found in Jesenick were also created in the same way respectively.

The iron sword was noted to have an octagonal handle along with a bronze hilt. The hilt featured circles and crescent carvings. The blade was almost intact and was just broken near the base.

Experts claim that the findings showcase how much effort was put in by artisans behind their items and at the same time reflect their primitive methods. "They were obviously trying their best, but the quality of the casting was actually pretty low," said Jiří Juchelka, director of archeology at the nearby Silesian Museum.

The artifacts went through X-rays and experts noticed many small bubbles inside the sword in the scans. According to researchers, this indicates that the sword was not used for combat and was mainly used for ceremonial purposes. The sword is only the second of its kind found in the whole region.

Encouraged by the findings officials decided to excavate the area hoping for more archeological evidence. "It is like a puzzle," said Milan Rychlý of Jesenick's Ethnographic Museum. "We just have four little shards from the story that took place right now, so we have to start piecing everything together."