Divers have pulled a sword dating back centuries from the Vrbas river in the northern village of Rekavice in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) region on Thursday after it was discovered stuck in stone 11 metres deep.

Members of the ‘Buk’ diving club, which was involved in recovering the artefact, explained that the ‘Bocac’ hydropower plant helped in the process by regulating and lowering the water level in the river in order to achieve optimal conditions for the divers to retrieve it.

Rekavice is the home of the medieval ruins of castle Zvecaj. It has been established that the sword was used at some time between the end of the 13th century and the first half of the 15th century.

The bastard sword is a significant find, as only one such sword from the 14th century exists among the artefacts at the Republika Srpska Museum.

According to museum associate Janko Vracar, the sword could be displayed at the Museum next year after it is cleaned.