3,000-year-old piece: Bronze Age sword found intact by detectorist in forest in Poland
A remarkable discovery was made by a metal detectorist in a forested area near Gdansk, Poland. A sword dating back to the Bronze Age emerged from the earth in an impressive state of preservation, displaying a greenish patina covering its surface.
Experts from the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments, archaeologists responsible for the analysis, estimate that the weapon was forged between the years 900 and 700 BC. This period corresponds to the final phase of the Bronze Age on the European continent, according to reports from Archeology News. The preservation of the piece, despite millennia, is an indication of the rarity and historical value of the find, which can offer new information about the metallurgy of the time.
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Details of the ancient weapon found
The sword is approximately 60 centimeters long. It is part of a specific style characterized by a tang handle. This design indicates that the original narrow metal extension, which protruded from the blade, was complemented by a hilt made of organic materials such as wood, bone or horn. However, these more fragile components disintegrated over the centuries.
The bronze blade is surrounded by a layer of green patina, a crust that naturally forms on the metal and which, in this case, was crucial for protecting the artifact. Thanks to her, intricate carvings, engraved arches and patterns of short, transverse lines that decorate the piece have been preserved. These particularities are consistent with swords produced in periods four and five of the Bronze Age, although additional conservation work will be required to confirm the weapon’s exact type classification.
