June
16
/ 2025
An astonishing medieval sword, unearthed from a riverbed in the Netherlands, is now capturing the imagination of archaeologists and museum goers alike. Dubbed the ‘Sword of Linschoten’, this nearly 1,000-year-old weapon is a superbly preserved piece of military craftsmanship, and bears some wonderful medieval symbolism - featuring sacred motifs that reflect the spiritual and cultural thinking of its time. Discovery in the Clay On March 1, 2024, workers dredging the Korte Linschoten River, just west of Utrecht, happened upon an object protruding from a lump of clay. What appeared to be an iron shard turned out to be an entire medieval sword, one meter long, with a wide cross guard and a Brazil nut-shaped pommel typical of the 11th and
