Finding a cool sword is always a very nice thing, but when it turns out that the sword in question is a very, very old piece from the Bronze age, the discovery is even cooler and it enthuses archaeologists and weapons enthusiasts alike. The Bronze age took place more than 3,000 years ago, and while there are many remains that have surfaced from this period, especially those made out of bronze, there will never be enough artifacts found for a discovery of this magnitude not to be fascinating.
Unlike many recent archaeological discoveries, this one was made by actual professionals and not just amateurs with a metal detector, which makes it even more exciting for the archaeological community as a whole.
The new Bronze Age sword discovery that is fascinating the world
While this period in history is quite far away from us, there are many signs that can still be seen today marking the presence of these old humans. The signs are mostly marking burial sites, as most other traces will have been removed by time or repurposed by future civilizations that lived in the area, but monuments dedicated to the departed are not usually desecrated and can actually tell us a lot about the people that once inhabited the Earth.
The sword was found in Donau-Ries, at a burial site in the state of Bavaria, which is located in southern Germany. It is an octagonal sword which makes it rare just because of the shape, and it is believed to have been a burial gift, left in the grave to accompany its occupant in their journey to the other side.
There are many fascinating things about this weapon that have been ascertain in the less than a month that it has been in the hands of experts. The first thing it that is was beautifully preserved and that it still gleamed, which considering its age is nothing short of miraculous. At least, that is, according to a statement from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments.
The statement continues by determining the age of the sword, which they are placing squarely at the end of the 14th century BCE, corresponding to the Middle Bronze Age. This makes the unique octagonal shape even more rare and gives the discovery even more historical weight than it already had.
Professor Mathias Pfeil, Head of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments is one of the privileged few that have been able to see this find with their own eyes, and although he is excited for the discovery, he reminds people that there is still a lot of work to be done to understand and place the cultural and historical significance of this find, especially in the context that it was meant to be placed in.
He stated that “The sword and the burial still have to be examined so that our archaeologists can classify this excavation more precisely,” but he added that “The state of preservation is exceptional! A find like this is very rare.”
Despite being left in a burial sight as a potential gift, the sword seems to be a fully functional real weapon, meant for the purpose of its construction. The Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments states “The center of gravity in the front part of the blade indicates that it was balanced mainly for slashing.”
For now, details are scarce, the sword was found in a grave containing the remains of three people, a man, a woman and a young person who were determined to have passed away in short order of each other. While we still need to determine their relationship to each other, they were buried with a rich array of grave goods, which will not make identification any easier, but will help piece together more parts of the Bronze Age puzzle.