What is known

The sword, which was more than 1.3 meters long, appeared to have been coated with another metal to form small Christian crosses, said excavation leader Johan Klange, an archaeologist with the Halland Cultural Environment, a local government agency.

The buried man was 1.9 meters tall; This was an impressive figure in the early 16th century, when, according to experts, the average height of men in Sweden was around 1.65 metres.

Archaeologists found the body during the excavation of the “Little Square” (Lilla Torg in Swedish) in the center of the city of Halmstad, located on the west coast of Sweden, near Denmark. The tomb was the most notable find; The sword buried next to the man was the only tomb treasure found among the 49 tombs at the site and may indicate that the man belonged to a higher nobility.

A grave with a sword was found in the part of the monastery where the church once stood / Photo: Kulturmiljö Halland, Stiftelsen Halllands länsmuseer

We assume that he belonged to the upper nobility of the Kalmar Union and may have owned property in both Sweden and Denmark. These people were very, very influential,
said Klange.

The tomb was discovered in mid-December as part of excavations in the area, which was first discovered during road works in the 1930s. The Franciscan monastery that once stood here represented the Roman Catholic Church and was therefore destroyed in 1531 during the Swedish Reformation, which lasted from 1527 to 1593.

Two more people were buried next to the tall man: a man and a woman. The location suggests these people may have been local residents. Further examination of the bones in the graves, including DNA analysis, will determine whether the three are related.

The sword will also be analyzed. It appears to belong to the late medieval European style known as the “longsword” or “hand and half sword”, which could be used with one or two hands.

Although the sword was made of iron, which was prone to rust, it was well preserved. However, the blade broke near the handle, probably due to roadworks carried out in the 1930s.

The sword is made of iron / Photo: Kulturmiljö Halland, Stiftelsen Halllands länsmuseer

Sword sweep / Photo Kulturmiljö Halland, Stiftelsen Halllands länsmuseer