NORTH JURA, POLAND—According to a Live Science report, two metal detectorists stumbled upon a nearly 2,000-year-old sword in the forests of southern Poland when they were searching for lost World War II relics. Experts who examined the weapon believe that it is a Roman-style double edge spatha that was commonly used by the cavalry. Although the sword may have Roman origins, it was likely used and deposited by an individual from the Przeworsk culture, which is associated with the Germanic tribe known as the Vandals. Researchers also believe that the three-foot-long sword was intentionally broken into three pieces and left as an offering during a funerary ceremony of a fallen Vandal warrior. Deliberately bent and broken swords are commonly found in Przeworsk culture burials. To read about spatha swords uncovered near Israel's ancient settlement of Ein Gedi, go to "Cave of Swords," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2023.
