Four early medieval spears found at Lake Lednica –

Four early medieval spears were found on the bed of Lake Lednica, one of which was beautifully decorated and may have been made by a royal noble. Dendrological analysis and radiocarbon dating found that the spears date to the second half of the tenth century and the first half of the eleventh century.

The stronghold of the Piast dynasty was located on the island of Ostrów Ledniki in Lake Lednica. More than 280 military artifacts from the reigns of Piast kings Mieszko I (r. circa 960-992) and Bolesław the Brave (992-1025) were discovered on the lake bed, including 145 axes, 64 spearheads and 8 swords. This is the largest collection of early medieval weapons ever discovered at a single site.

Scientists have two main theories as to why so many weapons ended up in the lake. They probably fell into the lake during the battle for the fortress of Lednica on the bridge during the Czech prince Bretislaus’s invasion of Poland in the 1130s. The second hypothesis is a ritual one, suggesting that the weapons were placed in the water as offerings to gods or spirits.

“This practice has existed since early times in many parts of Europe. Water was considered a gateway to the world of the dead, and throwing valuables into the water was a deeply symbolic action. Arsenals gathered at the bottom of the lake may be echoes of tumultuous historical events and ancient beliefs,” [Museum of the First Piasts in Lednica] explain.

The four spears discovered this season are very different from each other and each has its own characteristics. The smallest spearhead had a rhombus shape and was found still mounted on a wooden pole. The spear shaft is made of ash wood and several pieces survive, with a total length of about 2.1 meters (6’11”). Only two spears in Lake Lednica have such well-preserved shafts, and they are more than three meters long. The tip has a ring made of deer antler, a feature never found in medieval spears.

The second spearhead was longer, slender and shaped like a willow leaf, a common design for early medieval weapons. It also has a surviving section of the shaft. The spear head is decorated with snake-shaped wolf teeth on both sides. A few examples of this type of spearhead have been found in Lake Lednica, suggesting they may have been made locally.

The third spearhead is the longest of the four and has a triangular outline. It is made using welding technology, where a soft, low-carbon iron alloy is repeatedly forged together with a hard, high-carbon alloy to increase strength. This was the pinnacle of European combat forging technology at the time. It is also decorated with a wolf tooth pattern. Only a few fragments of the wooden shaft remain.

The fourth is the most spectacular of them all. It is decorated with spiral and triaxial patterns along the blade and is set in a socket decorated with the same pattern. The sockets are mounted with wings with a woven pattern. The ends are pointed and may represent stylized claws or beaks. Rows of tiny dots fill in the spaces between the edges of the braided braid. Residues of the bronze plating were still visible, but researchers found traces of no less than six metals in the spearheads: silver, gold, copper, tin, zinc, lead and their alloys. Three spear specimens with similar decoration have been found in the lake, but none possess this specimen’s incredible precious metals. This is a very special item, it may have been a crest of royalty or nobility rather than a weapon, or it may have had a ceremonial purpose.

The artifacts found, particularly the richly decorated prince’s spearhead, require further study. This will help determine production technology. There are also plans to conduct isotope analysis of selected metals found on the Prince’s Spear to determine their origin, which may help determine the origin of this famous object.

Once conservation is complete, the spearhead will be on display at the Museum of the First Piast Dynasty in Lednica.