Researchers found the sword pommel in late October 2025.

The discovery was publicly highlighted by James Madison University in January 2026.

That means the article’s central archaeological claim is not an old story being recycled.

It is part of a current research development.

The team had spent years building the case before the most dramatic artifact appeared.

This is exactly how archaeological discoveries often happen.

The public sees the final object.

Researchers remember the decades of work behind it.