Metal detectorists stumble on 300-year-old artifact with star-shaped spike. See it
A group of metal detectorists in Poland stumbled on several historic artifacts, including an item with a star-shaped spike. Photos show the finds.
Members of the Hrubieszów Exploration and Historical Association were searching the area around Hrubieszów with metal detectors, the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments said in a May 22 Facebook post. Over the past few years, the group has found weapons from World War I and World War II and older, everyday objects.
During some recent searches, the metal detectorists stumbled on four older-looking artifacts and alerted officials.
Archaeologists identified one artifact as an iron shoe spur from at least 300 years ago. A photo shows the rusty, V-shaped shoe spur and its star-shaped spike. The 6-inch-long spur matches a style used from the 15th to 17th centuries.
Nearby, metal detectorists found a belt buckle likely used to attach the spur to a shoe, officials said.
The metal detectorists also uncovered an old iron horseshoe. A photo shows the roughly 4-inch-long hook-shaped artifact. Archaeologists said the horseshoe could date between the 14th and 19th centuries.
Metal detector searches also unearthed a metal tool with a fan-shaped blade, officials said. The roughly 4-inch-long artifact is ambiguous and could date anytime between the ancient Roman era to the modern period.
Archaeologists did not specify what will happen with the artifacts found in Hrubieszów.
Hrubieszów is about 180 miles southeast of Warsaw in the Lublin region and near the border with Ukraine.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
This story was originally published May 22, 2024 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Metal detectorists stumble on 300-year-old artifact with star-shaped spike. See it."
