An eight-year-old girl playing near a lake in Sweden unearthed a rather stunning find in the form of an ancient sword. According to a local media report, Saga Vanecek was at her family's summer home which sits on the shore of Vidostern Lake in the community of Smaland when she made the remarkable discovery. While throwing sticks and stones across the lake to see how far they would skip, the little girl reached into the water and grasped the handle of the sword.
Vanacek was amazed when she pulled the rusty weapon out of the water and realized what she had found. The girl's father initially thought that the nearly-three-foot-long sword was a toy or perhaps a relatively modern relic of some kind. However, a subsequent examination of the object by the Jonkopings Lans Museum revealed that it was, in fact, quite ancient. An assessment by experts suggested that the sword is at least 1,000 years old and may even pre-date the Viking age.
More on this story at the Coast to Coast AM website.