Image copyright Mbl.is/Hallur Mar Hallsson Image caption The sword was handed over to heritage officials on Monday

A group of Icelandic goose hunters got more than they bargained for during a recent outing - they didn't catch a single bird, but stumbled upon a Viking sword thought to be more than 1,000 years old.

The five men were in Skaftarhreppur in southern Iceland when they found the sword, which they think may have washed up during a recent flood, the Visir news website reports. One of the men, Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson, shared a photo of it on his Facebook page and swiftly received a call from Iceland's Cultural Heritage Agency, which took possession of the artefact on Monday morning.

Image copyright Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson Image caption The sword is largely intact

The agency's director, Kristin Huld Sigurdardottir, says only 20 swords of this age have been discovered in Iceland before, making it a significant find. It didn't take much effort on the hunters' part, though. "It was just lying there, waiting to be picked up - it was obvious and just lying there on the ground," one of them, Runar Stanley Sighvatsson, tells Iceland Monitor. It's believed the sword dates back to at least the 10th Century, and may have been placed in a pagan grave, the website says.

The exact area where the sword was found hasn't been revealed, as the agency wants to do a little digging of its own to see what else is lying around there.

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Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter.</s>A group of geese hunters in Iceland found more than just birds on a recent outing, stumbling upon a 1,000-year-old Viking sword.

The perfectly preserved weapon was found in the dirt and undergrowth in Skaftarhreppur, Southern Iceland.

Experts believe the rusted sword laid undisturbed in a riverbed for centuries before being washed up during flooding last year.

The Norse chieftain Ingolfr Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Frodesdatter are thought to be the first permanent Nordic settlers of Iceland. According to the Icelandic Book of Settlements, Landnama, he left Norway after becoming involved in a blood feud. He set off with his family for a new island that had been described by other Norse sailors including Garoarr Svavarsson and Floki Vilgeroarson – the first Norsemen to sail to Iceland. According to Icelandic legend, upon seeing the soaring shores of Iceland he threw his carved high seat pillars overboard and swore to build his farm wherever they came ashore. It apparently took three years before it was finally located in a large bay in the southwest of the country in 874AD. He called the place Reykjavik ,which means steam bay. Ingolfr’s son Torstein Ingolfrsson later became a chieftain and founded the first parliament – known as a thing – in Iceland.

Posting an image of the relic on Facebook, one of the hunters, Arni Bjorn Valdimarsson, claimed the double-edged sword may have belonged to Ingolfr Arnarson, widely recognised as the first Icelander and one of the earliest permanent settlers on the island.

'It was just lying there, waiting to be picked up,' said Runar Stanley Sighvatsson, another of the hunting party.

The Icelandic Cultural Heritage Agency has since claimed the sword, taking possession of it on Monday morning, saying the weapon is one of a small number to have been found in tact in Iceland.

According to Icelandic law, all archaeological remains found on or in the ground are considered the property of the state.

The hunters had to pass the sword to the Icelandic Cultural Heritage Agency, which will pass it on to the national museum after analysing it.

Kristin Huld Sigurdardottir, the director general of the agency, said: 'We are very excited here in Iceland as this is only the 24th sword from Viking era found in Iceland.

'At this stage we date the sword to circa 950 AD or maybe even prior to that.

'Many of the swords are in pieces and even only found a part of the hilt. So it is fantastic to find an almost complete sword.

'It is in a pretty good state. The point is broken off and a small part missing, but apart from that it is relatively well preserved, although of course corroded.'

Viking explorers first reached Iceland in around 870 CE after Norse sailors had stumbled on the islands after sailing to the Faroe Islands.

It was originally given the Norse name of 'Snowland', but the island transforms in the summer months to a habitable green land filled with natural resources.

Among the first permanent settlers of the island was the Norwegian Ingólfr Arnarson and his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir.

The pair are believed to have settled in what would later become the capital, Reykjavik.

The hunters found the sword in an area near a southern Icelandic river which was badly damaged by flooding last year, some distance from the capital.

If the recently discovered weapon is confirmed to have belonged to one of these first permanent Icelandic settlers it would carry huge cultural significance for Icelanders.

The sword is double-edged and still attached to its hilt. There are also remains of a wooden handle on the hilt.

The research team also hopes to find the remains of a scabbard on the blade.

Ms Huld Sigurdardottir said: 'The goose hunters that found the sword found another object which we have not analysed yet.

'Our archaeologists have now gone to the site to evaluate whether this is from a pagan/heathen grave.'

VIKINGS IN ICELAND FEASTED ON BEEF AND BOOZE Vikings who settled in Iceland spent most of their time producing and consuming alcohol and beef, according to a 2014 study by Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Experts say they did this in part to achieve political ambitions in an environment very different from their Scandinavian homeland. Davide Zori, an assistant professor at the university, said that the seafaring warriors wanted to sustain a lifestyle where chieftains hosted huge feasts of beer and beef served in great halls. The Viking chieftains used wealth and cultural displays to flex political muscle with their rivals and to cement good relations with local labourers and supporters. The team excavated a farmstead called Hrísbrú in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley, including a chieftain’s longhouse nearly 100 feet long with a ‘feast-worthy’ great hall, a church and a cemetery of 26 graves. Carbon dating and studies of volcanic eruption layers indicated that the longhouse was built in the late ninth or early 10th century and abandoned by the 11th. When the Vikings arrived in uninhabited Iceland, they found forested lowlands, ample pasture land and sheltered sea inlets. The team excavated a farmstead called Hrísbrú in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (mapped), including a chieftain’s longhouse nearly 100 feet long with a ‘feast-worthy’ great hall, a church and a cemetery of 26 graves Excavations show that choice cattle were selected for feasts, with ritual slaughter and the display of skulls common. Examination of barley seeds suggests the Vikings may have used them to produce alcohol, as well as for bread or porridge. Over the centuries, as temperatures in the North Atlantic dropped during the ‘Little Ice Age,’ being a lavish host got tougher, Professor Zori explained. Cattle had to be kept indoors in large barns during the winter so ‘they [the Vikings] had to decide how many to slaughter and store,’ he said. ‘They didn’t have salt, so they had to use big vats of curdled milk as a preservative’ As the landscape changed due to erosion, climate shifts and cleared forests, it became harder to rear larger numbers of cattle. High-status households also struggled to grow enough grain for beer-making and local consumption, based on historical accounts, which have now been confirmed by archaeological data. ‘It got harder and harder to keep up that showiness – and when that collapsed, you didn’t have that power, that beer and big slabs of beef to show off,’ he said, explaining that the power of chieftains diminished. Over time, sheep farming replaced the raising of cattle.</s>THE 2016 SP Papua New Guinea Hunters’ presentation night takes place tomorrow at Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby.

 Hunters chief executive officer Bob Cutmore said the event would be similar to last year’s edition and would have the usual awards and accolades given out to the season’s best performers.

 “The Hunters are having their presentation night on Saturday and it’ll be the last engagement for the team before they start their eight-week break on Monday,” Cutmore said.

 Cutmore would not confirm the special guests who were on the schedule but said the venue had seating for up to 300 guests including the Hunters team and management and board as well as the PNGRFL executive.

 He confirmed that Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko was one of the dignitaries expected at the function.

 Among the acknowledgements to be handed out, the coveted Player of the Year award sits on top of the pile.

 Israel Eliab picked up the 2015 gong with this year’s award believed to be a close three-way tussle between star back Justin Olam, hooker cum halfback Wartovo Puara Jr and five-eighth Ase Boas.

 Olam looks set to scoop the awards night with the 22-year-old in the running for the Top Tryscorer, Best Back and Rookie of the Year awards.

 The other awards to be given out are the People’s Choice award, Players’ Player, Coach’s award, Man of Steel award and the PNGRFL Chairman’s Bow and Arrow award.

 Captain Noel Zeming looks set to take out the top point scorer (120 points) award despite missing 10 games during the season.

 Olam’s 14 tries, while not as impressive as Eilab’s 22 last year or Gary Lo’s 24 from 2014, is well ahead of nearest challenger in Adex Wera’s 11 for the season.

 Competing for the Best Forward’s gong are probably only two men: Brandy Peter’s evolution into an elite forward was stamped this season with the burly Southern Highlander among the best in the Hunters pack week in week out; Timothy Lomai’s season has also been noteworthy after a stint out of the Hunters fold earlier in the year – both he and Peter surprised many with their consistency and quality.

 Olam will have some competition for the Best Back award with Wera, Bland Abavu and Thompson Teteh strong contenders.

 Puara’s stellar form at dummy half and his seamless transition to first reciever mid-way through the season marks him as a club great in the making and he could well add another Man of Steel award to the one he picked up last year.

 The club’s other stand outs in 2016 have been Warren Glare ( best tackler), Adam Korave (leadership and aggression), Gahuna Silas (impact), Esau Siune (best metre-gainer) and Benjamin Hetra (best bench forward).
Hunters discover a 1000-year-old sword in Iceland.