Image copyright Mbl.is/Hallur Mar Hallsson Image caption The sword was handed over to heritage officials on Monday

A group of Icelandic goose hunters got more than they bargained for during a recent outing - they didn't catch a single bird, but stumbled upon a Viking sword thought to be more than 1,000 years old.

The five men were in Skaftarhreppur in southern Iceland when they found the sword, which they think may have washed up during a recent flood, the Visir news website reports. One of the men, Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson, shared a photo of it on his Facebook page and swiftly received a call from Iceland's Cultural Heritage Agency, which took possession of the artefact on Monday morning.

Image copyright Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson Image caption The sword is largely intact

The agency's director, Kristin Huld Sigurdardottir, says only 20 swords of this age have been discovered in Iceland before, making it a significant find. It didn't take much effort on the hunters' part, though. "It was just lying there, waiting to be picked up - it was obvious and just lying there on the ground," one of them, Runar Stanley Sighvatsson, tells Iceland Monitor. It's believed the sword dates back to at least the 10th Century, and may have been placed in a pagan grave, the website says.

The exact area where the sword was found hasn't been revealed, as the agency wants to do a little digging of its own to see what else is lying around there.

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Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter. </s> A group of geese hunters in Iceland found more than just birds on a recent outing, stumbling upon a 1,000-year-old Viking sword.

The perfectly preserved weapon was found in the dirt and undergrowth in Skaftarhreppur, Southern Iceland.

Experts believe the rusted sword laid undisturbed in a riverbed for centuries before being washed up during flooding last year.

The Norse chieftain Ingolfr Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Frodesdatter are thought to be the first permanent Nordic settlers of Iceland. According to the Icelandic Book of Settlements, Landnama, he left Norway after becoming involved in a blood feud. He set off with his family for a new island that had been described by other Norse sailors including Garoarr Svavarsson and Floki Vilgeroarson – the first Norsemen to sail to Iceland. According to Icelandic legend, upon seeing the soaring shores of Iceland he threw his carved high seat pillars overboard and swore to build his farm wherever they came ashore. It apparently took three years before it was finally located in a large bay in the southwest of the country in 874AD. He called the place Reykjavik ,which means steam bay. Ingolfr’s son Torstein Ingolfrsson later became a chieftain and founded the first parliament – known as a thing – in Iceland.

Posting an image of the relic on Facebook, one of the hunters, Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson, claimed the double-edged sword may have belonged to Ingolfr Arnarson, widely recognised as the first Icelander and one of the earliest permanent settlers on the island.

'It was just lying there, waiting to be picked up,' said Runar Stanley Sighvatsson, another of the hunting party.

The Icelandic Cultural Heritage Agency has since claimed the sword, taking possession of it on Monday morning, saying the weapon is one of a small number to have been found in tact in Iceland.

According to Icelandic law, all archaeological remains found on or in the ground are considered the property of the state.

The hunters had to pass the sword to the Icelandic Cultural Heritage Agency, which will pass it on to the national museum after analysing it.

Kristin Huld Sigurdardottir, the director general of the agency, said: 'We are very excited here in Iceland as this is only the 24th sword from Viking era found in Iceland.

'At this stage we date the sword to circa 950 AD or maybe even prior to that.

'Many of the swords are in pieces and even only found a part of the hilt. So it is fantastic to find an almost complete sword.

'It is in a pretty good state. The point is broken off and a small part missing, but apart from that it is relatively well preserved, although of course corroded.'

Viking explorers first reached Iceland in around 870 CE after Norse sailors had stumbled on the islands after sailing to the Faroe Islands.

It was originally given the Norse name of 'Snowland', but the island transforms in the summer months to a habitable green land filled with natural resources.

Among the first permanent settlers of the island was the Norwegian Ingólfr Arnarson and his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir.

The pair are believed to have settled in what would later become the capital, Reykjavik.

The hunters found the sword in an area near a southern Icelandic river which was badly damaged by flooding last year, some distance from the capital.

If the recently discovered weapon is confirmed to have belonged to one of these first permanent Icelandic settlers it would carry huge cultural significance for Icelanders.

The sword is double-edged and still attached to its hilt. There are also remains of a wooden handle on the hilt.

The research team also hopes to find the remains of a scabbard on the blade.

Ms Huld Sigurdardottir said: 'The goose hunters that found the sword found another object which we have not analysed yet.

'Our archaeologists have now gone to the site to evaluate whether this is from a pagan/heathen grave.'

VIKINGS IN ICELAND FEASTED ON BEEF AND BOOZE Vikings who settled in Iceland spent most of their time producing and consuming alcohol and beef, according to a 2014 study by Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Experts say they did this in part to achieve political ambitions in an environment very different from their Scandinavian homeland. Davide Zori, an assistant professor at the university, said that the seafaring warriors wanted to sustain a lifestyle where chieftains hosted huge feasts of beer and beef served in great halls. The Viking chieftains used wealth and cultural displays to flex political muscle with their rivals and to cement good relations with local labourers and supporters. The team excavated a farmstead called Hrísbrú in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley, including a chieftain’s longhouse nearly 100 feet long with a ‘feast-worthy’ great hall, a church and a cemetery of 26 graves. Carbon dating and studies of volcanic eruption layers indicated that the longhouse was built in the late ninth or early 10th century and abandoned by the 11th. When the Vikings arrived in uninhabited Iceland, they found forested lowlands, ample pasture land and sheltered sea inlets. The team excavated a farmstead called Hrísbrú in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (mapped), including a chieftain’s longhouse nearly 100 feet long with a ‘feast-worthy’ great hall, a church and a cemetery of 26 graves Excavations show that choice cattle were selected for feasts, with ritual slaughter and the display of skulls common. Examination of barley seeds suggests the Vikings may have used them to produce alcohol, as well as for bread or porridge. Over the centuries, as temperatures in the North Atlantic dropped during the ‘Little Ice Age,’ being a lavish host got tougher, Professor Zori explained. Cattle had to be kept indoors in large barns during the winter so ‘they [the Vikings] had to decide how many to slaughter and store,’ he said. ‘They didn’t have salt, so they had to use big vats of curdled milk as a preservative’ As the landscape changed due to erosion, climate shifts and cleared forests, it became harder to rear larger numbers of cattle. High-status households also struggled to grow enough grain for beer-making and local consumption, based on historical accounts, which have now been confirmed by archaeological data. ‘It got harder and harder to keep up that showiness – and when that collapsed, you didn’t have that power, that beer and big slabs of beef to show off,’ he said, explaining that the power of chieftains diminished. Over time, sheep farming replaced the raising of cattle. </s> April 16 (UPI) -- A pair of amateur archaeologists found a treasure trove on a Baltic island that is believed to have belonged to a Danish king from more than 1,000 years ago.

René Schön and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko were rummaging around with metal detectors on the German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea when they happened upon the ancient treasure in January. But experts kept the find secret until last week.

"This was the [biggest] discovery of my life," Schön, a hobby archaeologist, told German news agency DPA.

The find includes silver coins, rings, pearls, bracelets and a Thor's hammer from the era of 10th century Danish King Harald Bluetooth.

"This trove is the biggest single discovery of Bluetooth coins in the southern Baltic sea region and is therefore of great significance," said lead archaeologist Michael Schirren, according to the BBC.

Experts believe the treasure may have been buried in the 980s. That may offer proof that Bluetooth fled the area to Pomerania after his son, Sven Gabelbart, led a rebellion against him, according to the Telegraph.

"We have here the rare case of a discovery that appears to corroborate historical sources,"archaeologist Detlef Jantzen said.

Bluetooth was a Viking-born king who renounced the Norse religion and is credited with unifying Denmark and introducing Christianity to the region. </s> Hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets linked to the era of Danish king Harald Gormsson have been found on the eastern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea.

Hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets linked to the era of Danish king Harald Gormsson have been found on the eastern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea.

A single silver coin was first found in January by two amateur archaeologists, one of them a 13-year-old boy, in a field near the village of Schaprode.

The state archaeology office then became involved and the entire treasure was uncovered by experts over the weekend, the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania state archaeology office said. “It’s the biggest trove of such coins in the south-eastern Baltic region,” a statement said.

An archaeologist holds an ancient Danish coin which was minted under King Harald Bluetooth (dpa/AP) The office said the two amateur archaeologists were asked to keep quiet about their discovery to give professionals time to plan the dig. They were then invited to participate in the recovery. “This was the (biggest) discovery of my life,” hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen told the German news agency dpa.

Mr Schoen said he and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko were using metal detectors on the field near Schaprode when Luca found a little piece that he initially thought was only aluminium waste. But when they cleaned it, they understood it was more precious. Archaeologists said about 100 of the silver coins are probably from the reign of Harald Gormsson, better known as Harald Bluetooth, who lived in the 10th century and introduced Christianity to Denmark.

Hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko, who made the find (dpa/AP) He was one of the last Viking kings of what is now Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and parts of Norway. His nickname came from the fact he had a dead tooth that looked bluish, although the term is of course best known for the wireless Bluetooth technology invented by Swedish telecom company Ericsson. </s> BERLIN (AP) - Archaeologists on the German Baltic island of Ruegen have uncovered hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets that are linked to the era of the Danish King Harald Gormsson.

The German news agency dpa reported Monday a single coin was first found by two amateur archaeologists, one of them a 13-year-old boy, in a field near the village of Schaprode in January. The state's archaeology office then became involved and the entire treasure was recovered by experts last weekend.

Archaeologists said that some 100 silver coins are probably from the reign of Harald Gormsson, better known as "Harry Bluetooth," who lived in the tenth century and introduced Christianity to Denmark.

He was the king of what is now Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and parts of Norway.

In this April 13, 2018 photo an archeologist holds an ancient Danish coin which was minted under King Harald Bluetooth after a medieval silver treasure had been found near Schaprdoe on the northern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP)

In this April 13, 2018 photo medieval jewelry and coins are displayed on a table after a medieval silver treasure had been found near Schaprode on the northern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP)

In this April 13, 2018 photo hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko, right, search for coins after a medieval silver treasure had been found near Schaprode on the northern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP) </s> Hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets linked to the era of Danish king Harald Gormsson have been found on the eastern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea.

A single silver coin was first found in January by two amateur archaeologists, one of them a 13-year-old boy, in a field near the village of Schaprode.

The state archaeology office then became involved and the entire treasure was uncovered by experts over the weekend, the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania state archaeology office said.

“It’s the biggest trove of such coins in the south-eastern Baltic region,” a statement said.

The office said the two amateur archaeologists were asked to keep quiet about their discovery to give professionals time to plan the dig. They were then invited to participate in the recovery.

“This was the (biggest) discovery of my life,” hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen told the German news agency dpa.

Mr Schoen said he and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko were using metal detectors on the field near Schaprode when Luca found a little piece that he initially thought was only aluminium waste. But when they cleaned it, they understood it was more precious.

Archaeologists said about 100 of the silver coins are probably from the reign of Harald Gormsson, better known as Harald Bluetooth, who lived in the 10th century and introduced Christianity to Denmark.

He was one of the last Viking kings of what is now Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and parts of Norway.

His nickname came from the fact he had a dead tooth that looked bluish, although the term is of course best known for the wireless Bluetooth technology invented by Swedish telecom company Ericsson.

The company named the technology, developed to wirelessly unite computers with cellular devices, after the king for his ability to unite ancient Scandinavia.

The technology logo carries the runic letters for his initials, HB. </s> A 1000 year-old king’s treasure of buried silver & pearls has been discovered by a young boy and his metal detector. The spectacular discovery is being hailed as the largest of its kind ever found by the Baltic Sea.

The German Press Agency (DPA) gives report of an amateur archaeologist and his 13-year-old student who discovered the treasure trove of buried silver; believed to having been buried by the 10th century King Harald Blåtann (King Bluetooth).

LARGEST EVER FOUND

 Archaeologist Michael Schirren discussed the treasure story with DPA, saying “This treasure is the largest single discovery of King Blåtann coins ever found within the southern region of the Baltic Sea. It’s quite an important archaeological find.”

Archaeologist Detlef Jantzen also spoke with DPA, saying; “We have here the rare case of a discovery that appears to corroborate historical sources.”

TREASURE ISLAND

 The treasure was first discovered this past January. A 13 yr German boy named Luca and his teacher René Schön were using metal detectors upon a field near the village of Schaprode on the German island of Ruegen within the Baltic Sea. While searching, Luca found a small bit of something hidden within the dirt and brought his teacher’s attention to it, thinking that perhaps it was of aluminum.

Upon close inspection, the two determined that Luca had unearthed a very old coin.

 The 2 ‘would-be’ treasure hunters then contacted state archaeology and reported of their find.The state asked for secrecy to allow planning-time for a professional dig.

MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS

 This past weekend, the state archaeological department (along with Luca & René)

 excavated a 400 square meter (4,300 sq ft) area and found a stunning treasure trove

 of braided-silver collars, pearls, brooches, a ‘Thor’ hammer, finger rings and around 600 ‘fractional’ coins from ancient Saxon, Ottoman, Danish and Byzantine kingdoms.

Of the coins, most date from the era of King Harald Blåtann, (reigned AD 958 to 986)

 but the oldest coin, a Damascus Dirham, dates to year c. 714. Archaeologists believe that the treasure was buried in the late 980’s during the rein of King Harald ‘Bluetooth,’the Viking king who “won (consolidated) all of Denmark.”

GOLD TREASURE

 Other stunning artifacts from King Harald Bluetooth have been found within the area. In the late 19th century, The ‘Hiddensee’ buried treasure of 10th century gold pendants & jewelry was discovered upon an island only a few kilometers away from Ruegen.

King Harald Blåtann was 1 of 3 sons born to King Gorm-the-Old (“Old” referencing the king being of the ‘old’ noble bloodlines; not of his age) and his wife Thyra Dannebod. King Harald was one of the last Viking kings of what is now Denmark, Germany, Sweden and parts of Norway. King Harald is credited with being the first Nordic king to turn away from the olden Norse gods and embrace Christianity.

Bluetooth technology is named after the ancient Norse king, who ‘gathered together’

 fiefdoms and fashioned a cohesive whole (much as the Swedish company’s Bluetooth product ‘gathers together’ various components of information into one gadget) and the Bluetooth logo is comprised of the ancient, Nordic runes of King Harald’s initials: HB. </s> Ancient weapons found in Texas are believed to be the oldest ever found in North America and could shed new light on how humans came to the continent, Science Daily reported.

According to researchers, spear points and other tools discovered under several feet of sediment 40 miles northwest of Austin were dated to be 15,500 years old and pre-date Clovis, long believed to be the first people to enter the Americas.

The Clovis people invented the “Clovis point,' a spear-shaped weapon made of stone that is found in Texas and parts of the United States and northern Mexico. The weapons were made to hunt animals, including mammoths and mastodons, from 13,000 to 12,700 years ago.

“There is no doubt these weapons were used for hunting game in the area at that time,” Michael Waters, distinguished professor of anthropology and director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M, who led the research, told The Daily Mail.

“The findings expand our understanding of the earliest people to explore and settle North America,” he added.

The researchers believe that the projectile point found in Texas is a distinct style created by people of an earlier migration into the Americas and would have been used between 13,500 and 15,500 years ago.

Conventional science says that the earliest settlers reached the Americas via Siberia, crossing the now-defunct Bering land bridge on foot and trekking through Canada some 13,000 years ago.

That clashes with archaeological findings that suggest humans were already living in Chile about 15,000 years ago or more and in Florida 14,500 years ago.

Scientists now believe the first Americans could have taken a coastal route along Alaska's Pacific border to enter the continent.

This theory provides an alternative narrative and could mark a step toward solving the mystery of how humans came to the Americas. </s> Scientists believe newly-discovered, 15,500-year-old spear points are the oldest weapons ever found in North America.

The findings raise new questions about the settlement of early peoples on the continent.

As reported in Science Advances, scientists found numerous weapons—about 3-4 inches long—while digging at the Debra L. Friedkin site, named for the family who owns the land about 40 miles northwest of Austin in central Texas. The site has undergone extensive archaeological work for the past 12 years.

Researchers found spear points made of chert and other tools red under several feet of sediment that dating revealed to be 15,500 years old, and pre-date Clovis, who for decades scientists believed to be the first people to enter the Americas.

“There is no doubt these weapons were used for hunting game in the area at that time,” says Michael Waters, a professor of anthropology and director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M University.

“The discovery is significant because almost all pre-Clovis sites have stone tools, but spear points have yet to be found. These points were found under a layer with Clovis and Folsom projectile points. Clovis is dated to 13,000 to 12,700 years ago and Folsom after that,” Waters says.

“The dream has always been to find diagnostic artifacts—such as projectile points—that can be recognized as older than Clovis and this is what we have at the Friedkin site.”

Clovis is the name given to the distinctive tools people made starting around 13,000 years ago. The Clovis people invented the “Clovis point,” a spear-shaped weapon made of stone that researchers have found in Texas and parts of the United States and northern Mexico. Those weapons were made to hunt animals, including mammoths and mastodons, from 13,000 to 12,700 years ago.

“The findings expand our understanding of the earliest people to explore and settle North America,” Waters says. “The peopling of the Americas during the end of the last Ice Age was a complex process and this complexity is seen in their genetic record. Now we are starting to see this complexity mirrored in the archaeological record.”

Additional coauthors are from Texas A&M, Baylor University, and the University of Texas. The North Star Archaeological Research Program and the Elfrieda Frank Foundation funded the work.
Hunters discover a 1000-year-old sword in Iceland.