An astonishingly well-preserved, 3.000-year-old Bronze Age sword has been unearthed by archaeologists at a grave site in Bavaria.

Bronze Age sword discovered in Bavaria

An ancient sword from the Bronze Age has been discovered at a grave site about 130 kilometres northwest of Munich, in Nördlingen, one of only three German towns which still have their medieval city walls. The sword has been so well preserved under the earth for the past 3.000 years that officials say it “almost still shines”. 

According to the Bavarian body in charge of preserving historical artefacts, the BLfD, the sword was made at the end of the 14th century BC. The green-tinged weapon was found in a grave with a man, a woman and a boy, who were buried within quick succession from one another - whether the three people are a family is still unclear.

Near intact sword was a rare find

Speaking to the dpa, head of the BLfD Mathias Pfeil said that such a well-preserved discovery was very rare.

“The sword and the burial still need to be examined so that our archaeologists can categorise this find more precisely. But we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary.”

Thumb image credit: oliverfoerschner / Shutterstock.com