A sword from a Bronze Age burial was found by archaeologists in Germany, and it is in such superb shape that it still shines. The 3,000-year-old sword was unearthed in a grave of a man, mother, and child in the Bavarian town of Nördlingen. The Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection said in a statement issued on Wednesday (June 14) that it appears the trio was interred quickly after one another, although it is unknown if they were linked. The sword is so beautifully kept, "it almost still shines," as the translated sentence says. The weapon features an elaborate, octagonal bronze hilt that has an oxidized, greenish tint due to copper in bronze, which oxidizes when exposed to air and water.
The sword was dated by archaeologists to the end of the 14th century B.C. Due to the widespread grave looting throughout the middle Bronze Age over the centuries, the researchers noted that sword finds from this period and area are uncommon. Octagonal swords could only be crafted by expert smiths. Using a process called overlay casting, the handle, which features two rivets, was cast over the blade. The statement claims that the absence of cut marks or wear indications on the blade points to a ceremonial or symbolic use for it. The center of gravity of the sword's front end shows that it might have successfully cut opponents, yet even so, it may have been used as an active weapon.
According to academics, there are two facilities in Germany that produce octagonal swords. One region, a local one, originated in southern Germany, while the other came from northern Germany and Denmark, the statement claimed. Unknown is the location of the sword's casting. The sword and the grave still need to be studied, according to Mathias Pfeil, director of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, who is worried about the blade's conservation, "so that our archaeologists can classify this find more precisely." The rarity of the illness is, nonetheless, undeniable. Such a finding is not usual.
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