The level of the water was extremely low at the time. The sword is about 85 cm (33 inches) long and despite its age there is still some wood and metal around the weapon. The artifact was presented to the Jönköpings Läns Museum by the eight-year-old. The local museum, which confirmed the discovery and is now preserving the historic item, said the sword was extremely well-preserved.
The sword was initially reported to be 1,000 years old, but his experts now believe it may date to around 1,500 years ago. The find is believed to be a very important one, as there have been relatively few pre-Viking artifacts uncovered in Scandinavia and it is greatly exciting the archaeological community in Sweden. “I felt something in the water and lifted it up. Then there was a handle and I went to tell my dad that it looked like a sword,” Saga Vanecek remembers. More ancient items, including a brooch from the 3rd Century, were found at the bottom of the lake during further excavations. Saga had grown up in Minnesota but had recently relocated with her family to Sweden to be closer to relatives.
