This summer, an 8-year-old named Saga Vanecek was playing in Lake Vidostern in Sweden with her family. While she was there, she discovered something that she thought was a stick but ended up being a 1,500 year old sword.

Saga Vanecek was in the lake, which is located about 250 miles south of Sweden capital of Stockholm, skipping rockcs when she felt something felt like a stick. She explained, “I picked it up and was going to drop it back in the water, but it had a handle, and I saw that it was a little bit pointy at the end and all rusty. I held it up in the air and I said ‘Daddy, I found a sword!’ When he saw that it bent and was rusty, he came running up and took it.”

Later after the father took the bent sword from his daughter, they showed it to their neighbor, who was interested in history and archaeology. The neighbor said it was at least 1,000 year old. A museum later clarified that they believe it may be even older. Experts stated the sword is “exceptionally well-preserved with swordskin in wood and leather.”

Experts have estimated that it could be from the 5th-6th century, which is the pre-Viking age. The 85 centimeter long sword is going to be put in a museum, but people will not able to see it until the next year, because they have to make sure it’s preserved for the future. The conservation process takes a while and must be done carefully due to the wood and leather on the sword.

After Saga discovered the sword, her parents made her promise that she couldn’t tell anyone because they didn’t want the public to go to the lake where they found the sword and possibly destroy any other artifacts. Later Saga confirmed that the only person she told was her best friend; but then after the news story came out, she told her whole class, who found it very interesting. “I think maybe I found it harder to keep secret than she did,” her father later added.

The museum in Stockholm did continue to search the lake and found a brooch from the year 300.