A rare 3,000-year-old sword described as ‘magical’ after it still looked like new after being dug out of the ground surrounded by skeletons has been unearthed in Germany.
The extraordinary find was discovered by a team of archaeologists evaluating an ancient burial site at the small town of Noerdlingen, Bavaria State, Germany, earlier this month.
They were observing a grave with three bodies – a man, a woman and a teenager – and pondering whether they were related when they found the 3,000-year-old Bronze Age weapon.
The experts claimed that the sword was so exceptionally well preserved, it was still shining when they first laid their eyes on it.
Head of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Dr Mathias Pfeil said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The sword and the burial still have to be examined so that our archaeologists can classify this find more precisely.
“But it can already be said: the state of preservation is extraordinary! A find like this is very rare.”
The octagonal-shaped blade which was made entirely of bronze had a clear zig-zag pattern, punctuated with studs and rivets, the archaeologists said.
The Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments: “It reportedly dates to the end of the 14th century BC, or the Middle Bronze Age.
“Sword finds from this period are rare and come either from burial mounds that were deliberately opened in the 19th century or as single, presumed sacrificial finds.”
Claiming it must have been extremely difficult to craft, the experts were convinced it was a real weapon created for sharp cuts.
They said: “The production of octagonal swords is complex because the handle is cast over the blade (so-called overlay casting).
“The decoration is made with an inlay and using hallmarks. While there are two real rivets, another pair of rivets are only implied.
“The center of gravity in the front part of the blade indicates a predominantly slashing balance.”
However, the scientists were hesitant whether the sword was produced locally or crafted abroad.
Swords of the kind were reportedly traded only in several locations across the continent including southern Germany, north Germany and Denmark.
The experts said: “A comparison of the casting techniques and the decoration shows that some of the octagonal swords in the North are apparently replicas of South German forms, while other pieces could be genuine imports or the product of ‘wandering craftsmen’.”
Online commentators compared the blade with a mystical weapons that were always like new, saying that fact it looked as if it was new made it seem as if it had mystical properties.
Reports revealed that swords from Nordlingen often belonged to the Urnfield culture dating back to 750 BC.
Their name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns, which were then buried in fields.
