Historic dagger discovered on cliff along Poland's Baltic Sea
Local treasure seekers have found a richly decorated dagger, potentially dating back 2,800 years, while exploring a block of earth that had broken off a cliff on the Baltic coast.
"It's my most precious discovery," Jacek Ukowski, head of an exploration group based in the north-western town of Kamien Pomorski, told PAP on Monday.
"The cliff was eroded, and the block must have collapsed," he said. "I entered the place with a metal detector because it started ringing there."
Ukowski, along with Katarzyna Herdzik, a fellow member of the exploration group who discovered the dagger with him, believes the artefact dates back approximately 2,800 years to the early Iron Age.
The dagger, measuring 24.2 cm, is very richly decorated and is in very good condition.
Following the discovery, Ukowski promptly notified Grzegorz Kurka, the director of the Kamien Region Historical Museum, who secured the artefact. The province's conservation officer will now determine which museum will exhibit the item.
"A true work of art!" Kurka told PAP. "I have not seen such a dagger in my experience with findings in Polish territories."
He said forthcoming scientific analysis would determine the proportions of copper and tin in the dagger's alloy, its probable origin and whether it served military, religious or ritual purposes.
For security reasons, the exploration group chose not to disclose the precise location of the dagger's discovery. (PAP)
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