A sword believed to be from the Bronze Age — between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago — has been found in a garden in the Satakunta region of western Finland.
The discovery was made with the use of a metal detector by Matti Rintamaa in the village of Panelia.
The sword was found in about seven different pieces, which were scattered around the yard.
Although Rintamaa found the artefact at the end of July, the discovery has only just been revealed by Satakunta Museum and the Finnish Heritage Agency.
"The object was probably broken and then transported to the site along with some arable land transferred in connection with a construction project years ago," the museum and the agency said in a joint press release. "The original context of the sword can only be guessed at, but possibly it was once sacrificed to the coastal waters of the ancient Gulf of Panelia."
A rare find
Bronze Age artefacts are rare discoveries, as only about 200 objects from the era are known to have been found in Finland.
This number includes about 25 swords and daggers, two of which were also found in Panelia.
"During the Bronze Age, the area around the ancient Gulf of Panelia was densely populated, as evidenced by the area's numerous burial mounds. Panelia also houses Finland's largest known Bronze Age burial mound, Kuninkaanhauta (roughly translated as the Royal Tomb)," the press release stated.