(Photo: Museum Vestsjælland)

Recently, a couple of amateur archaeologists were out “on a stroll,” as the Local puts it, in rural Zealand, the largest island in Denmark. They had a metal detector, and were hunting for whatever they might find. 

When they got a hit, they started digging, eventually unearthing what appeared to be the tip of a sword. But mindful of history—and, perhaps, professional archaeology—they decided to rebury their find and contact authorities. 

When the object was eventually uncovered, the amateur archaeologists, named Ernst Christiansen and Lis Therkelsen, were able to appreciate the full weight of what they’d uncovered: a 3,000-year-old, 32-inch blade, which authorities said was still sharp. 

“The sword is so well-preserved that you can clearly see the fine details,” an inspector for Museum Vestsjælland said. 

The blade will now be on display at a branch of the museum, before being kept in storage. That’s because Denmark, it turns out, is full of hidden antiquities, and you can find a lot of things if you just look.