Tomb of What Is Believed to Be a Medieval Knight Was Found Under a Former Ice Cream Shop: 'Insane'
Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the remains of a Medieval knight beneath a former ice cream parlor.
The tomb was found under a busy street corner in Gdańsk — a city in northern Poland known for its rich history — on July 8, according to a statement from Poland’s Provincial Council for the Protection of Monuments.
The grave is thought to be from either the 13th or 14th century, according to a translated report shared on the city’s website.
The knight measured about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and was likely about 40 years old at the time of his death, per the report.
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The city said researchers believe the man was a knight due to a hand-carved limestone tombstone over his grave, which depicted a knight holding a shield.
According to Popular Mechanics, the coat of arms on the carved shield has worn away, so researchers are currently unable to determine who the knight served.
The city of Gdańsk was ruled by the Teutonic Knights in 1308, but the buried knight could also have served a number of different rulers, such as a Sobieslaw dynasty or a German house.
Researchers with the Polish archaeological company ArcheoScan have been studying the area since 2023, after a popular local ice cream parlor — which had stood on the site for 60 years — was sold to developers.
The developers were required by law to allow archaeologists to survey the site before any new structures could be built, according to Polish science outlet Science in Poland.
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Researchers had previously discovered the remains of a large wooden church at the site, along with over 200 burial sites and six tombstones, per the outlet.
"What we're unearthing here is insane," Sylwia Kurzyńska, a member of the archaeological team, told the Polish Associated Press about the recent discoveries, per Science in Poland.
She also said a fragment of the knight's chainmail boot and leggings were preserved, per the outlet.
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The tombstone and skeleton have since been taken to the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, where they will undergo further study, per Smithsonian Magazine.
Researchers plan to learn more about who the knight was and where he came from, and hope to release their findings next year, the outlet said.
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