Bronze Age Sword Revealed In Excellent Condition.

Archaeologists in Nördlingen, western Bavaria, have unearthed a Bronze Age sword in extraordinarily good condition. The hilt is octagonal and made entirely of bronze. It dates to the late 14th century B.C., the Middle Bronze Age, but it is in such good condition that it retains its shine.

The age, shape, material and condition of the sword make it an extremely rare find, all the more so because it was discovered in its original context: an intact burial mound. Most of the mounds from this era were looted for their valuable grave goods long ago, and many of the known swords from this era were pillaged from mounds destroyed in the 19th century. 

The sword was unearthed from a grave that held the skeletal remains of three individuals: an adult man, an adult woman and a teenager. They were buried with rich funerary furnishings, but there is as of yet no direct evidence of a familial relationship or some other connection between the three. The hilt is octagonal in shape was manufactured by casting the handle over the blade, a complex process known as overlay casting. It is intricately decorated with incised geometric designs and inlay.

Love all the arrowheads laying around too.  I'd love to shaft those and see how they fly!

                                                        Via the always good History Blog