A 1,300-year-old Viking sword was recently uncovered by an unlikely group of individuals: a class of first-grade children.The 8th-century weapon was found in a field near the village of Brandbu, Norway, about 40 miles northwest of Oslo, in late April.Viking Age swords are "relatively rare" finds, said Øystein Lia, an archaeologist and senior adviser with Innlandet County's Cultural Heritage department.STRANGE VIKING GRAVE WITH 'CHRISTIAN OVERTONES' DISCOVERED BY PERPLEXED ARCHAEOLOGISTS: 'VERY UNUSUAL'Lia told Fox News Digital that the Innlandet region receives approximately one Viking sword discovery every two years.Though the sword owner's identity is lost to time, Lia said that the weapon "belonged to someone of high status within Viking Age society."A Viking Age sword, shown above, is believed to date back roughly 1,300 years.It was recently discovered in a field near Brandbu, Norway, by a group of first-grade students.
(Kulturarv i Innlandet via Facebook)"It was most likely owned by a man, a free landholding individual and a significant warrior," he said."He may also have served as a military advisor to a local Viking chieftain."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERThe news of the find was announced by the cultural heritage department of Norway's Innlandet County in May.Officials said the sword was first spotted on a school trip by a 6-year-old boy named Henrik, who noticed "something strange sticking up out of the ground." Pictures released by officials show a long, rust-covered sword with its hilt largely intact.Shown above, a Viking Age sword believed to date back roughly 1,300 years was recently discovered in a field near Brandbu, Norway, by a group of first-grade students.(Kulturarv i Innlandet via Facebook)"The sword is what we call single-edged," the department said in a Facebook post.
"That means it is sharp on only one side."The post added, "We believe the sword is around 1,300 years old, dating to the Merovingian Period or the beginnin...