Viking excavation of Viking sword in Patara, Turkey
Every cut into the land would disclose something about the past and the tradition of a long-gone community. The end of 2018 witnessed the excavation of the Viking sword in Patara, Turkey.
The Viking sword could have dated back to the 9th or 10th century according to the archaeologists. Unexpectedly, the sword revealed itself from the dust. Because nobody thought that they could have found a Viking sword there.
Right after looking at the design of the sword Vikings, the scholar, Feyzullah Şahin, who was as scholar son the Vikings. Feyzullah Şahin believed that it belonged to a naval comrade who sacrificed himself in the battle. What left after 11 centuries is a sword of 42cm (16.5inches).
The archaeologists agreed that the sword was a gift for a deceased figure. But how it ended up in Patara remains a mystery.
Photo of the Viking sword that found in Turkey. It is corroded and broken because of the test of time.
In the Viking Age, the warriors treasured the sword the most. Because the minority of the Vikings could afford a sword. Meanwhile, the majority of them used either axes or spear to join the battle. Sword, on the other hand, was a weapon of nobility and wealth. If a person was neither a chieftain nor a great war-band leader, he stood less chance to own the Viking sword.
A loss of the sword meant a loss of a fortune to the Vikings at the time. Any burial that was excavated with a sword meant the owner of the burial was in the high status. This is the reason why the archaeologists tend to believe that the Viking sword found in Patara belonged to either a great warrior or a noble one.
