Recent discovery of a single and half-handed or bastard sword in the Vrbas River at the foot of the medieval fortress of Zvečaj in Rekavice appears to be a significant archaeological discovery, since only one medieval sword has been found in the territory of the City of Banja Luka in the past ninety years. As the previous sword that has been badly damaged, the so-called “Vrbas sword in stone” is now kept in the Medieval Weapons and Armour Collection of PI Museum Republika Srpska Banja Luka. This type of bastard sword was used in the period from the last quarter of XIII to the first half of XV century, based on a typological analysis of the blade, the incision and the apple of the sword. Swords like this in our area are relatively rare, which is why its rescue and conservation is of high priority for both the Museum and the City. The sword and documentation about its underwater excavation from the river, its conservation and preservation popularize underwater archaeology and archaeology in general, the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the territory of the City of Banja Luka, as well as promotion of the natural and historical sights of our city. The whole storytelling will be the fate of the sword that could be related to the very archaeological location of the Zvečaj fortress and to the famous historical figures that marked the past of the whole region (King Stjepan Ostojić/Ostojic, Grand Duke Hrvoje Vukčić/Vukcic, and Konstantin Mihailović/Mihailovic from Ostrovica) in the late Middle Ages. This could also serve as an opportunity for promotion of the Zvečaj Fortress and the need of its reconstruction, which, due to its location, could become attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists (similar examples in our closer surroundings are Golubac in Serbia or Vranduk in the Federation of B&H). 

Historical facts

In the territory of the City of Banja Luka there are several medieval sites that witness the turbulent past of these regions. One such site is the Zvečaj Fortress, above the village of Rekavice, at the southern entrance to the Tijesno Canyon. This fortress was first mentioned in historical sources on January 15, 1404 as the palace of the Grand Duke of Bosnia, the Duke of the Donji Kraji (Lower Lands) and Split, Hrvoje Vukčić and it is considered to have been built by him. With his death, in 1416, the most of Hrvoje possessions went to the Crown. In the palace in Zvečaj, on March 15, 1419 the Bosnian King Stjepan Ostojić welcomed a delegation from the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik), confirming the old privileges for Ragusa merchants. During the conquest of Bosnia in the spring of 1463, the Ottomans conquered the Zvečaj fortress and left there a crew, which consisted of Janissaries, under Konstantin Mihailović, a native Serbian nobleman from Ostrovica near Novo Brdo in Kosovo. As a young man, Konstantin Mihailović was captured by the Ottomans during the conquest of Novo Brdo in 1455, and on that occasion he was enlisted in the Janissaries. He also participated in the conquest of Bosnia, and for his own merits he was rewarded with the title of Dizdar (commander of the fort) of Zvečaj. In the fall of the same year, the Hungarian army led by King Matija Korvin entered Bosnia and occupied Jajce and Zvečaj. They captured Konstantin Mihailović, who on that occasion, defected to Christians. Mihailović continues his warrior career in Hungary and then in Poland, where he was admitted to the rank of knights. Towards the end of his life, he wrote a memoir entitled "Memories of the Janissaries or the Turkish Chronicle", which was first printed in the Bohemia in 1565 and became a very popular reading, translated into dozens of European languages. In the aftermath of the Hungarian conquest, Zvečaj became part of the Jajce Banat as a part of Hungary's military effort to stop the Ottoman invasion of Central Europe. The Hungarian king Matija Korvin camped below the Zvečaj in 1480 on his campaign against the Ottomans. In addition, the Franciscan monastery is also mentioned in the suburb of Zvečaj in 1495. The catastrophic Hungarian defeat at Mohač in 1526, and the death of King Lajoš II in the battle with the Ottomans, soon led to the collapse of the Hungarian defense system at the southern borders. In the following year, the Ottomans conquered Jajce and then Zvečaj, which soon lost its former significance due to the border being moved north and west and was gradually abandoned. The upper town consists of a strong oval-shaped donjon (main) tower and ramparts that descend towards the Vrbas river on the east and west sides. At the site of the natural driveway on the east side was a gated gate. On the west side, near the rampart about a hundred meters long, was a quarter-detached tower, which protected the access to the main fort on this side. Subsequent archaeological and architectural research could provide an answer as to whether Zvečaj was also a fortified court, while the temporal Zvečaj belongs to the Gothic style, though it has some elements of Romanesque fortifications.

General information about the find

The discovery of a hand and half sword or bastard sword in stone in the trough of the Vrbas River at the foot of the Zvečaj town appears to be a significant archaeological discovery, since only one medieval sword has been found in the territory of the City of Banja Luka in the past ninety years which has been badly damaged and which is kept in the Medieval Weapons and Armour Collection of PI Museum of Republic of Srpska Banja Luka. This type of bastard sword was used in the period from the last quarter of XIII to the first half of XV century, based on a typological analysis of the blade, the incision and the apple of the sword. Swords like this in our area are relatively rare, which is why its extrication and conservation was of high priority for both the Museum and the City. Removing the sword from the river, its conservation and preservation were used as a great occasion for making a documentary film which display will popularize underwater archaeology and archaeology in general, the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the territory of the City of Banja Luka, as well as promoting the natural and historical sights of our city. The fate of the sword is related to the very location of the Zvečaj fortress and to the famous historical figures that marked the past of the whole region (King Stjepan Ostojić, Grand Duke Hrvoje Vukčić, and Konstantin Mihailović from Ostrovica) in the late Middle Ages.

In order to excavate the sword on adequate way and to carry out the whole process on a professional level, we have had to organize ourselves professionally. Since we did not have experts for underwater archaeology, in cooperation with divers from Diver Club “BUK” from Banja Luka (whose members found the sword in the first place), the Museum and Diver Club signed Cooperation Agreement which included the diving training for an archaeologist of the Museum and the training of the divers for coastal and underwater archaeology. The purpose was to enable the licensing of first divers in underwater archaeology in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their future progression through subsequent courses. It enabled us to gain skills and experience, which we were able to apply in this project but also that will be used in the future projects and underwater field work. The course of Coastal and Underwater Archaeology was organized by the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar from 16 to 22 May 2019, Bale (Villas Rubin), Rovinj, Croatia. The NAS course (Nautical Archaeological Society) consists of two parts: introductory and NAS 1. Introduction to underwater and coastal archaeology includes theoretical lectures on the types of underwater sites and dating methods, underwater findings, 2D documentation, and the practical part - drawing underwater and on land. The second part of the course, the NAS 1, consists of theoretical lectures on translation of archaeological projects, locating and exploring the site, security during project execution and logistics, 3D documentation, care of findings, post-excavation activities, and a practical part of exploring and documenting the site. Underwater archaeology, although primarily related to marine areas, represents a new form of archaeological research in the Republic of Srpska focused on rivers and lakes, which opens the door to new and significant historical facts that have taken place in our region. On the other hand, the archaeologist of the Museum of the Republic of Srpska attended and gained the P1 diving licence in April, 2019. This education consisted of theoretical lectures and practical exercises at the City Pool as well as several dives in the Vrbas River.

After the training of divers and archaeologist, the sword was excavated in period October 15-17, 2019. As the sword was literally stabbed in the stone, it was necessary to do the underwater technical separation of the stone/rock around the sword, as the sword should be drawn together with the stone/rock part. Considering that it was a completely new and unusual project in our region, its realization, from training and excavation of the sword, to its restoration and presentation in the form of documentary film as well as the inclusion of the sword in the permanent exhibition of the PI Museum of the Republic of Srpska Banja Luka got (un)expected media attention worldwide.

After the sword excavation and the process of the conservation, the sword is now kept and displayed at the Museum’s permanent exhibition.

Cultural heritage is an important resource for economic growth, employment and social cohesion. It helps revitalize urban, rural, cultural and natural areas and promote sustainable tourism as well as recognize the intangible elements of cultural heritage, including the knowledge, practices, and traditions of all people in Europe.

As the Council of Europe advocates freedom of expression and of the media and freedom of assembly, the Museum of the Republic of Srpska shares the same values and it is committed to promoting, protecting and safeguarding Europe’s cultural heritage against human and environmental threats. Cultural heritage is both the inheritance from previous generations and the legacy for those to come. It is not only an important resource for social cohesion, economic growth and employment, but it also strengthens people’s sense of belonging and their cultural identity.

With this project we wish to raise awareness about all heritage in Europe, to inform and educate the community. Main priority of this storytelling is to engage the existing and attract new audience by offering them an interactive experience that will provide close insight into the heritage of our mutually interlaced cultures as several European cultures have similar story/-ies about the sward. So we want to try and give a new approach to the study of cultural heritage, to interrupt the standard way of exhibiting it, to offer the public an interactive project experience, to work on audience development and to step outside of the institution.