About  .  Contact  .  Donation the discovery provides new evidence of the craftsmanship and cultural exchange of the early Iron Age Cordula Association for the Rescue of Monuments Jacek Ukowski when he together with his colleague Katarzyna Herdzik While using a metal detector along the shoreline in Kamień Pomorski Ukowski noticed signals near a fallen clay mass and uncovered the dagger within it In an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP) he described it as his most valuable discovery to date I went to the site with a metal detector because I started getting signals.” The advanced level of metallurgy in the weapon suggests it may have been imported from a southern European workshop will be conducted to determine the composition of the dagger’s alloy Such examinations can provide insights into its origins and whether it was used as a tool in rituals or as a status symbol for a high-ranking warrior Ukowski discovered a medieval papal bull of Clement VI near Wysoka Kamieńska an artifact that he also donated to the museum collection Museum of the History of Kamień Land and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Aristos is a Newsweek science and health reporter with the London He is particularly focused on archaeology and paleontology although he has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from astronomy and mental health Aristos joined Newsweek in 2018 from IBTimes UK and had previously worked at The World Weekly He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and City University You can get in touch with Aristos by emailing a.georgiou@newsweek.com. Languages: English either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A rare and "extraordinary" medieval artifact has been uncovered by a metal detectorist in Poland The object in question, which measures just over 2 inches, once attached to a belt in order to hang keys or a purse, the Kamień Land History Museum announced in a Facebook post It was found near the town of Kamień Pomorski in the province of West Pomerania by Damian Tomczyk—a member of a history enthusiasts' group who work to uncover the region's secrets using metal detectors objects of this type have exclusively been found in the northwestern part of the country only 15 similar artifacts have been uncovered in the whole of Europe although Hungary and Austria have yielded one example each which is thought to date to the late medieval period The front part of the object is anthropomorphic in form depicting an individual seemingly placing their hands on their hips described the latest find as "extraordinary" In February, the discovery of a metal artifact thought to be a "medieval pilgrim's badge" was announced in Poland measures just over 1 inch across and is less than one-tenth of an inch thick the provincial conservator of monuments for the city of Lublin in the east of the country said in a Facebook post The "badge" features a depiction of what appears to be a dragon or basilisk a legendary serpentlike creature in European folklore that was said to have a deadly stare some Christian pilgrims wore badges as a kind of talisman—an object thought to possess magic powers and bring good luck These objects were believed to protect the wearer from all kinds of "evil"—including assault They also served to distinguish the wearers as pilgrims The Polish Press Agency also reported last month on the discovery of an "extremely rare" copper dagger thought to be more than 4,000 years old by a metal detectorist Piotr Gorlach made the find while conducting a search with his metal detector in the forests near the village of Korzenica Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about archaeology? Let us know via science@newsweek.com Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all killing at least 21 people and injuring 20 more The blaze broke out around 1am local time in a shelter for people waiting for social housing in Kamien Pomorski "While searching the building again this morning raising the toll to 21 dead," said Pawel Fratczak "It is going to be hard to identify many of them quickly because they are so badly burned." Footage broadcast on Polish television – taken when firefighters first arrived on the scene – showed the stone and metal building engulfed in flames There were 77 people registered as residents in the building at the time of the blaze Fratczak said not all were yet accounted for many of whom suffered broken bones after jumping from windows on the upper floors to escape the fire The injuries are not considered life-threatening and promised aid for those who escaped the blaze "The help will be full and will ensure the housing needs of those who survived this disaster," Tusk said while standing in front of the still smoking building "The most important thing is to help those who survived we still cannot say with full certainty say that the list of those killed is final." President Lech Kaczynski declared three days of national mourning to start at midnight It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze but police and fire investigators were examining the scene for clues A rare medieval belt loop has been unearthed near Kamień Pomorski in Poland’s West Pomeranian Voivodeship was announced by the Museum of the History of the Kamieńska Land “Only 15 similar belt loops have been discovered in Europe,” with previous finds scattered across Hungary believed to have been crafted during the 14th century a common feature of Bavarian craftsmanship during that era “The frontal panel of the loop features an anthropomorphic form with distinct markings delineating the figure’s head and hands resting on the hips there are diagonal and horizontal cuts adorning the torso indicative of the late Gothic costume.” The purpose of such belt loops was elucidated by Kurka who suggested they were primarily used for hanging keys or pouches “Our institution’s collection now includes three late medieval belt loops each contributing to our understanding of the material culture of the time.” The belt loop was discovered by a member of the St Cordula Monuments Preservation Exploration Association a group dedicated to exploring the historical secrets of the region through legal means and metal detection The association’s efforts have played a pivotal role in uncovering and preserving the archaeological heritage of Kamień Pomorski and its surroundings “Such artifacts provide invaluable glimpses into the daily lives and material culture of medieval societies enriching our understanding of the past.” Exhumed skeleton in Poland revealed unusal bural practices Some believe medieval burial was connected to fear of vampires Vampire folklore strong in the Eastern European country '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" 26 (UPI) -- An archaeological study determined medieval graves in Poland whose occupants received the vampire treatment were actually cholera victims The conclusions of researchers published in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE suggest the alleged vampires actually died of cholera and villagers suspected the deceased would rise and return to spread the disease "People of the post-medieval period did not understand how the disease was spread and rather than a scientific explanation for these epidemics cholera and the deaths that resulted from it Lesley Gregoricka of the University of South Alabama Eastern European fear of vampires was strong in the 16th and 17th century and evidence can be found throughout the region found four decapitated skeletons with their heads between their knees.