– I hardly think it can be true. I’ve thought it was some junk the whole time, but now he’ll get to look at it and judge, says Heidi Vike smiling. The man who was supposed to see the “scrap” is county conservator in Møre og Romsdal, Bjørn Ringstad. It all started when Heidi and her husband, Kai Grønningsæter, wanted to make potato fog from a spot in the garden. During the work, the plow pulled up a rusty metal object from the ground. Kai came up to the house to show Heidi what he had found. – “I think it’s a sword”, he said. But the wife was not easy to convince. – I grew up on a farm and know that you can find remnants of old travel in the soil, so I thought it was a piece of a plough. Thus the enthusiasm died down. Kai perhaps did not quite believe his wife’s conclusion. In any case, he wrapped the object neatly in a towel and left it in the garage. He lay there for two years. Heidi Vike shows where they had potato fog two years ago. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Response on Facebook In the municipality of Vestnes there are many traces from older times, and in the immediate area there are several burial mounds. A few days ago, Heidi had a visit from her cousin. They talked about history and things that have been found in the area. – Then I figured it out. I told her that we have something down in the garage that Kai thinks is a sword. The cousin encouraged her to post a picture of the object on the Facebook group Archeology in Møre og Romsdal. – Then it only took two minutes until I got a reply from the county conservator that it could be a grave find from the Viking Age. I couldn’t believe it, says Vike. The object is over 40 cm long. County conservator Bjørn Ringstad estimates that it was about half a meter longer in the Viking Age Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news No doubt A few days later, county conservator Bjørn Ringstad stood in the garden together with two archaeologists. – It’s a sword. I can say that for sure. You can clearly see it on the hilt that runs across the blade. It is probably from the 8th century, says Ringstad. Bjørn Ringstad is one of the first princes to have held the sword in his hands for over 1,000 years. Just nearby, traces of iron mining have recently been found, so the sword may have been made in Vestnes, according to Ringstad. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news – It’s incredible to hear that. It tickles the stomach and feels surreal. It is almost embarrassing to say that there has been a doctor in the garage for two years, says Vike. Ringstad has over 40 years of experience with archeology and cultural conservation. That such things appear is not an everyday occurrence. – To find such a sword in one’s own garden is quite special. Some swords from the Viking Age have been found in Norway, but a long time passes between each time, says Ringstad. The sword was a state weapon, and the archaeologist believes there must be a grave on the site. – It is likely that there is more here. A sword was not something you just lost. It is probably buried in a grave. Perhaps there are more weapons and traveling supplies just below us. So it is probably not the last time the Vike-Grønningsæter family will be visited by archaeologists. At least now the sword is out of the garage and in safe hands. The county conservator and Heidi give way at the discovery site. The sword has now been sent to NTNU in Trondheim for analysis and conservation. Then there may be some decoration or other marks on the hem. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news
ttn-69
Found a Viking sword in the garden at Øverås in Vestnes municipality – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
