German scientists are ecstatic to have discovered an incredibly well-preserved Bronze Age sword that is more than 3,000 years old.
The octagonal-hilted bronze sword was discovered in a burial in the southern town of Nördlingen. It’s believed to date back to the late 14th century BC.
According to the State Office for Monument Protection (BLfD) of Bavaria, its condition is so good that “it almost still shines.”
The cemetery also has other bronze objects and the remains of a man, wife, and boy.
The archaeologists are not sure whether the three were related, and the rarity of the find raises questions about the sword’s origin.
The BLfD says manufacturing such a sword was complicated, as the hilt was cast on to the blade. The Nördlingen sword does not appear to have been used in anger, but it is believed to have been a real weapon, not just ornamental.
