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A medieval sword found buried under a birch tree in Siberia may have belonged to Ivan the Terrible, archaeologists have claimed.  

The rare 12th century blade, discovered in 1975 and nicknamed Siberia's Excalibur, was found three kilometres from where the lieutenant of a Cossack leader favoured by the tsar is thought to have died.

Until now the sword had been considered a spoil of war, but a new theory suggests it could have may have been a gift from the leader to Ermak Timofeyevich, and passed along to Ivan Koltso. 

The sword discovered beneath a birch tree in Siberia may have belonged to the ruthless Russian tsar, Ivan the Terrible, whose armies conquered the area in the 1500s

Koltso, who died in battle in 1583, may have even used the blade in the fight for Siberia.

Latin letters engraved on the weapon mean 'In the name of the mother of our savour, eternal Lord and Saviour. Christ Jesus Christ.'

The reverse side reads: 'In the name of the Almighty. The Mother of God. In the name of Eternal.'

It was uncovered at the base of a tree in the Baraba forest-steppe, less than three kilometres from where it is thought Koltso died in battle in 1583. 

He was declared a hero by Ivan the Terrible, Russian most fearsome tsar, with church bells ringing out in Moscow. 

In a new hypothesis, Academician Vyacheslav Molodin suggests the blade 'could have been taken from Ivan the Terrible's armoury and brought here by the legendary warrior Ivan Koltso,' reports The Siberian Times.  

'Imagine the last battle of the Cossack detachment headed by Ivan Koltso,' he said.

The sword, discovered in 1975, is a 12th century blade thought to have been made in Germany and Sweden. It is possible it was gifted to the leader of the Cossack army by the tsar in the 14th century 

When unearthed by the archaeologist in the 1970s, the sword was 'incredibly well preserved', he said 

Letters on the blade mean 'In the name of the Almighty. The Mother of God. In the name of Eternal' 

Mr Molodin said he had seen swords of the same kind in museums and books but never in real life 

The archaeologist was worried the metal would fall apart after going untouched for hundreds of years 

'The attack was unexpected. Picture someone immediately being killed by a treacherous stab in the back, and somebody else grabbing a sword to fight the advancing Tatars.

'They are unequal forces and the Cossacks are trying to break through the crowds of enemies, but the ranks of the fighters are melting rapidly.

'Ivan strikes not one opponent. In his hands, the glittering giant sword, a gift from the Russian Tsar.

'In desperation Ivan and a few survivors of the Cossacks literally hack their way to their waiting horses.

'Ivan's leg is already in the stirrup and he is racing on the steppe, with his horse taking him further from the bloody battle.

'Behind him they chase, with arrows flying. And then, suddenly, the sword falls out of the hands of the hero and drops to the ground under a young birch tree.

'I am not sure that I am right, imagining all this, but the legend is really beautiful.'

He stressed he is not yet ready to advance the theory in a scientific publication but 'we should not exclude the version that the sword could have got to Baraba together with Yermak's squadrons. 

An illustration of Ermak Timofeyevich, the famed Cossack leader conquering Siberia with Ivan's army 

Mr Molodin said he is not ready to put his hypothesis forward in a publication yet but is developing the theory

'Despite his Cossacks having sabres and firearms, they were still using swords. So it was quite possible they were using them during that trip'.

It was during a dig led by Molodin that the sword was unearthed decades ago. 

'It took us an hour to clear the soil completely to see a massive sword, about a metre long with a typical iron hilt of medieval knight's swords with a clearly expressed crossbar guard and tripartite pommel,' he said.

'It was incredibly well-preserved, yet I was scared to raise it from the ground. I was scared it would fall into pieces in my hands.

'Finally I put my thin bladed knife underneath the sword and raised it.

'I've seen swords like this in museums and in scientific books, but it was my first time ever to hold it in my hands.

'It was as if it just descended from some knights' fairy tale.

'I slowly twisted it, noting sparkles of silver on the guard and blade. It was so well preserved that you could in fact use it in the battle almost straight away.'

IVAN THE TERRIBLE: RUSSIA'S MOST RUTHLESS RULER 

Crowned in Moscow in 1547, Ivan the Terrible would become known as one of the most ruthless rulers in history, slaughtering thousands in his final years at the helm of the Kremlin and well as killing his own son. 

Born Ivan Chetvyorty Vasilyevich on August 25, 1530, he was orphaned at the age of 8 and developed a deep distaste for the rival noble families to whom he attributed his mother's death.

After declaring himself the first tsar of Russia, he embarked on a destructive campaign to gain sole control over the growing empire. 

His power multiplied upon Russia's conquering of Sibera, Kazan and Astrakhan, and a centrally-controlled Russian state was created. 

Under his rule, the structure for Governments created centuries later was created. 

However a successful leader, he was deeply unpopular and detested for his cruel leadership methods. 

Following the death of his first wife, Ivan is said to have developed severe paranoia and depression. 

His ruthlessness was such he beat his pregnant daughter-in-law into having a miscarriage, killed his own son in a fit of rage and blinded the architect of St Basil's Cathedral so that he may never recreate something so beautiful. 

He died in 1584 of an apparent stroke, leaving Russia in the hands of his son, Feodor.