Testicle dagger in discovery in Gullberg Fortress, Sweden –

Testicle dagger is a tool style named after the shape of the shank, and in the mid-1400s, a date was found in the Gullberg Fortress in Gothenburg, southwestern Sweden. The dagger comes with iron blades and a wooden handle made of curly birch wood, decorated with circles. It was found that it was broken – the tip of the blade disappeared and the edges were widely broken – in the same excavation layer as the cross bolt, indicating that it was used in combat conditions.

The hill overlooking the mouth of the Gota River had a fortress as early as the 14th century. For centuries, the site was Sweden’s only direct North Sea exit, as other parts of the west coast belong to Denmark-Norway, so this is very important. The modern city of Gothenburg was founded in 1621, but when the fortress was built it protected its predecessor city Lödöse, a Viking settlement that grew into a major trading center in the 13th century.

Gullberg was frequently attacked and there was evidence of multiple stages of destruction and reconstruction between the 14th and 17th centuries. It was destroyed by the Danish army in 1612. Witness Cecilia Krakow, only 10 years old, lives in the fort with his mother Emerentia Pauli and describes the Denmark attack:

“Finally, 25 or 30 of the Danes entered the cabin where our children were and the maids were baking. They were sitting on the table, on the bench, asking for food
I’m hungry and haven’t eaten for two days. The maid gave them some cake. They ate themselves and dried, thinking that others would definitely handle things well in the castle.
But God and my blessed mother, and the soldiers’ wives, drag out the buckets and bathtubs, and other things they can find, throw them into the passage so that they have no more people to enter the courtyard. ”

The small stone built today in the 1680s is known as the sting of a lion, standing on the top of a mountain. As part of the railway construction project, the fortress ruins were excavated between 2014 and 2023. Not surprisingly, the oldest artifacts found in the excavation are weapons, including cross bolts and arrows. The weapons later unearthed at Gelberg’s ball included shot puts for light cannons and pistols. Cannon balls were made in the fortress, some of which were fired.

Archaeologists have discovered remains of cellars and stairs from 16th-century towers. The walls are a stunning 13 feet wide. Artifacts found in the cellar include beer barrel faucets, used to absorb excess ink and sunlight. San Dial is a particularly noteworthy discovery as it is a carved plate of limestone, and while its pointers are lost, the rest is complete.

A series of artifacts found in nearly a decade of excavations are now on display at the History Museum in Stockholm. Current Archaeology The exhibition will last until January 2026.