World

5,000-year-old weapon unearthed by man plowing his field in Poland. See it

A man found two ancient weapons after plowing his field in Poland, according to officials.
A man found two ancient weapons after plowing his field in Poland, according to officials. Photo by D O M I N I K J P W on Unsplash

After plowing his field in Poland recently, Jarosław Lipiec spotted something peculiar in the soil. Then he unearthed two ancient weapons from thousands of years ago.

Lipiec accidentally discovered a fragment of a large flint ax and a flint spearhead, according to an Oct. 13 Facebook post from the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments. The artifacts were found in Potok Górny, a village about 140 miles southeast of Warsaw.

Officials said the gray-brown flint fragment was once a tetrahedral ax, likely created by Neolithic people about 5,000 years ago. The piece is about 4.3 inches long, 1.6 inches thick and 2.4 inches wide.

The ax fragment dates to sometime between 1900 B.C. and 1500 B.C., according to experts.
The ax fragment dates to sometime between 1900 B.C. and 1500 B.C., according to experts. Lublin Provincial Monuments Conservator

The flint spearhead found in the field was fully preserved, the post said. The chocolate brown artifact was once part of a javelin or spear that was used at least 3,500 years ago.

The spearhead dates to about 5,000 years ago, Poland officials said.
The spearhead dates to about 5,000 years ago, Poland officials said. Lublin Provincial Monuments Conservator

Experts believe the 4.7-inch long blade was crafted between 1900 B.C. and 1500 B.C., meaning it was made by either the Mierzanowice culture or the Trzciniec culture, according to the Facebook post. Analysis indicates that it was used as a weapon.

The region where the weapons were found was previously believed to be void of any prehistoric settlements, but the latest discovery indicates that it was settled by ancient people, per the post.

Officials said they are planning further research in the area to search for any other ancient artifacts.

Google Translate was used to translate a Facebook post from the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 3:42 PM with the headline "5,000-year-old weapon unearthed by man plowing his field in Poland. See it."

Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER