Archaeologist from the Finnish National Board of Antiquities (NBA) measuring the site.Image: Simo Vanhatalo / Museovirasto
Posted on 02/08/2026 6:10:03 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Amateurs using metal detector located the tomb and after the initial major finds they contacted the archaeological authorities.
The well-preserved grave contained an uncharacteristically large 12th-century sword as well as what appeared to be a Viking-age blade that may have been part of a cremation ceremony.
The find was brought to light in a field in Hyvikkälä, Janakkala, which had showed signs of pre-historic settlement, by amateur metal detectorists After uncovering a few minor objects, the metal detector picked up a spear tip and an axe blade. After some digging, the group discovered a broken sword. At this point, the hobbyists broke off their work to alert the National Board of Antiquities (NBA).
(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.wiki ...
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Archaeologist from the Finnish National Board of Antiquities (NBA) measuring the site.Image: Simo Vanhatalo / Museovirasto
The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, alpha:
Secrets of the Warrior Buried in the Frozen North
Medieval Dead | S2 E5 | Full Episode | 44:26
Forbidden Mysteries | 5.43K subscribers | 45,419 views | January 4, 2026
The weekly digest list of topics is up top.
Awesome… and a little sad too…
He died far from home, never saw his loved ones again…
There once was a man from Glengozzle
Who discovered a remarkable fossil
He knew by the bend
And the wart at one end
‘Twas the peter of Saint Paul the Apostle
[also from 2013] Priceless medieval ring turns up in Espoo fieldImage: Espoon kaupunginmuseo
Crusader/Finland. Musta got lost on the way to the Holy Land.
The headline says he was a Crusader but the article only states only that he lived around “the Crusader era”. Without more evidence it’s entirely possible that he was not a Crusader, but maybe some other type of fighting man. In other words, the title is click bait. It would not elicit as many clicks if they had simply said they found the grave of a guy from long ago with swords.
Are we sure he wasn’t returning to Finland after a Crusade?
May have been a Teutonic from the Northern Crusades.
I was thinking he may have been a Varangian Guard who returned home.
I think that more likely than my returning Varangian theory.
That may well be, but my point was they didn't find (or do not mention if they found) evidence of him being a Crusader. Lots of other folks were at war with each other at that time in Europe without being Crusaders.
Ooh, that would explain the viking sword.
It could have been a Viagran crusader returning home from Clitoris.
It is unlikely he was a Teutonic Knight. The Teutonic Knights had no reason to venture to Finland. It is a tiny bit more possible it was a knight of the Livonian Swordbrothers - which eventually became part of the Teutonic Order.
The most likely thing is that it wasn’t a crusader at all - since no convincing evidence is produced that he was a crusader - and that he was Finish or Swedish.
The crusades in Finland, if they can even be called that (some doubt they happened) were by the Swedes.
Ironically there are more Teutonic Knights in Finland now than 800 years ago: https://www.facebook.com/TeutonicOrderCommanderyofFinland/
A Crusader? In Finland? I suppose he didn’t get very far!
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