Staffers Find a Japanese Hand Grenade From World War II at a Museum in KentuckyAfter police and the nearby bomb squad investigated to the scene, they announced that the weapon was inactive and safe Experts determined that the Japanese hand grenade was inactive. Behringer-Crawford Museum via FacebookMuseums house many fascinating artifactsfromfossilized dinosaur feces andwhale earwax plugs to atent used by George Washington and a mysterious beaten biscuit maker.Typically, the items in their collections are not dangerous. However, employees organizing the inventory of a Kentucky museum were in for a shock when they discovered a Japanese hand grenade from World War II.The incident took place at theBehringer-Crawford Museum, a local history museum in Covington, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The venue is gearing up to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year, and staffers were sifting through its collection in preparation for the festivities when they stumbled upon the 80-year-old weapon.When I feel complacent and like, Oh, theres nothing else thats going to surprise me, we find a Japanese grenade, says Jason French, the museums longtime curator, toSpectrum News 1s Ryan Hayes-Owens.Though the weapon had been housed in the museum for a long time, staffers werent sure whether it could pose a threat to public safety. So, they called the police.I was not able to really tell if it was a dummy grenade or not with my initial looking, so thats kind of how we ended up having to call some experts in, adds French.Members of the bomb squad from nearby Cincinnati responded and briefly blocked off the area surrounding the museum, reportsWCPOs Felicia Jordan. Ultimately, however, police determined the grenade was inactive and safe.Were going to deem it as the worst-case scenario until we can rule otherwise, Patrick Averbeck, a battalion chief with the Covington Fire Department, tells WLWTs Emily Sanderson. So we assume that its live until we have people on there that can tell us otherwise. And then that way thats the best for the safety of everybody involved.The artifact is whats known as a Type 97 hand grenade, which were made of serrated cast iron to ensure maximum fragmentation at the time of detonation, according to theImperial War Museums in London.Type 97 grenades were typically filled with the explosive chemical compound TNT and weighed about a pound. Measuring nearly two inches in diameter and nearly four inches long, the grenades were equipped with a time-delayed fuse that gave the thrower between four and five seconds to get to safety.This is not the first time a Japanese grenade has turned up unexpectedly. Last February, a resident of Mercer Island, Washington, found a Type 97 hand grenade while cleaning out their fathers house. Police responded and turned over the device to specialists. In September, an exploded Japanese grenade was discovered during a construction project at the U.S. Air Force base in Guam. Two battles with Japanese forces took place in Guam during WWIIone in 1941 and the other in 1944, perStars and Stripes Brian McElhiney.About a month later, a woman in Westlake, Ohio, was cleaning out a closet after her husband died when she found a Japanese Type 89 knee mortar and a Japanese Type 97 hand grenade. Police removed them safely from the home, asWKYCs Justin McMullen reported at the time.Now that the grenade has been cleared, museum staffers say they hope to use it in some future exhibitionpossibly one that explores the history of Kentucky veterans.We take the safety of our staff, visitors and community very seriously, Laurie Risch, executive director at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, tellsWKRC. After it was cleared by authorities, were pleased to confirm that this fascinating piece of history is safe and will be available for display in future exhibits.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Artifacts, History, Japan, Museums, Warfare, Weapons, World War II