Ancient Mystery Of Peculiar Nail With Six Faces And Six Eyes – Unusual Discovery In Borgholm Castle, Sweden

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - This artifact is very peculiar and intriguing. It is a small nail with six faces and six eyes. Can you solve this ancient mystery? Why are there only six eyes and not twelve?

The nail was found in Borgholm, Öland, Sweden.

At the top of the nail, you can see the six faces. The entire nail is only 6,4 cm (2,1 inches). The top of the nail, where the faces are, is only 1 cm (0,39 inches)

The faces divide the eyes. It is unknown where the nail was produced, but most likely, it is an ancient Roman artifact.  Number Six was considered sacred by many ancient cultures. Does the nail hide something of symbolic importance?

Ancient nail with six faces and six eyes discovered on Öland, Sweden, Image credit: Swedish History Museum

Two-faced deities, like Janus were worshipped in many different cultures. Archaeologists have discovered artifacts depicting gods and other individuals with three or four heads but never with six faces. Obviously, there is a symbolic meaning behind it.

The ancient six-headed nail was found in Borgholm Castle, a beautiful and important castle. Borgholm Castle has been teeming with people throughout the centuries.  Here, kings lived with their families. It was visited by architects, castle wardens, men of guard, prisoners, jailers, industrialists, and crofters.

Borgholm Castle - Credit: Adobe Stock - dudlajzov

Not to mention the builders: masons, lime-burners and mortar blenders, carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons and stone setters, joiners, scaffold builders, glaziers, and house painters, but also detailed peasants, prisoners and members of the armed forces.

Today, Borgholm Castle lies in ruins. In 1806, it was ravaged by a serious fire. Nevertheless, Borghom Castle remains one of the greatest tourist attractions in the region and gives the visitor a unique opportunity to stroll through Swedish, Scandinavian, and European history, ranging over more than 800 years.

Sword pendant in gilded silver, found in House 40 at Sandby Borg. Photo courtesy of Daniel Lindskog.

On the island of Öland, where archaeologists are trying to solve the mystery of Sandby borg ringfort, a number of macabre finds were made, but scientists also found remarkable ancient jewelry.

Archaeologists are making new discoveries on the island of Öland all the time. Perhaps a similar artifact will be found soon, and who knows, maybe it will shed more light on this puzzling ancient nail currently kept at the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

Updated on October 3, 2023

Written by  Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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