Archaeologists in Germany have discovered a remarkably well-preserved sword from the Bronze Age that still shines.
Live Science reported that the rare 3,000-year-old weapon was uncovered in the town of Nördlingen in Bavaria, inside the burial of a man, woman and child.
And, apart from a few banged-up scratches, the sword still glistens in the sun.
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Heritage Daily says a relic like this being discovered in such a good condition and in this location is 'extremely rare'.
While the sword was found inside the burial of three deceased people, it’s unclear if these three were related, according to the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.
Despite it being similar to a Bronze D-type Rixheim sword as it possesses a solid hilt made by overlay casting of the handle joining the blade, it has an extremely rare octagon handle.
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Mathias Pfeil, head of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, said: “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 condition is exceptional! A find like this is very rare!”
Scientists are still trying to determine if the sword was locally crafted or imported, as other Bronze Aage octagonal swords have been found in Southern Germany, Northern Germany and Denmark.
It comes after a metal detectorist discovered numerous Bronze Age artefacts just less than a metre underground in 2020.
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Mariusz Stepien was out-detecting with his pals in a field near Peebles, Scotland, when he stumbled on the ancient bronze items.
They managed to find a complete horse harness, the soil had luckily preserved, and a sword dating back to 1,000 to 900 BC.
Additionally, the pals found several other items, including buckles, rings and decorated straps.
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He told the BBC: "I will never forget those 22 days spent in the field. Every day there were new objects coming out which changed the context of the find, every day we learned something new.
"I'm so pleased that the earth revealed to me something that was hidden for 3,000 years. I still can't believe it happened."
Shortly after Stepien discovered the items, they were taken to the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh.
Emily Freeman, head of the Treasure Trove Unit, said: "This is a nationally significant find - so few Bronze Age hoards have been excavated in Scotland.
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"It was an amazing opportunity for us to not only recover bronze artefacts, but organic material as well.
"There is still a lot of work to be done to assess the artefacts and understand why they were deposited."
Topics: News
Charisa Bossinakis