Archaeologists have stumbled upon an extremely rare Bronze Age sword at an ancient burial site in Germany. Bronze sword more than 3,000 years old , which is so well-preserved that it “almost still shines”, has been unearthed in southern Germany, officials say.
The Bavarian state office for the preservation of historical monuments (BLfD) said the sword, which is believed to date back to the end of the 14th century BC — the middle of the bronze age — was found when dug up in the small town of Nordlingen last week.
The sword has an octagonal hilt and comes from a grave in which three people – a man, a woman and a boy – were buried in quick succession with bronze objects, the BLfD said this week. It was not yet clear whether the three were related to each other and, if so, how.
Prof Mathias Pfeil, the head of the BLfD, said: “The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archeologists can categorise this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary. A find like this is very rare.”
It is unusual to find swords from the period, but they have emerged from burial mounds that were opened in the 19th century or as individual finds, the BLfD said.
Despite its age, the sword’s zig-zag pattern is still completely visible, punctuated with studs and rivets. While experts believe it was difficult to create, they are convinced it was a real weapon, designed for sharp cuts.
At the time, there were just a few European hotspots for trading these types of swords, including southern Germany, north Germany and Denmark.
Swords from Nordlingen often belonged to the ‘Urns’ during this period- distinguished by their custom of cremation during the late Bronze era.