The sword has an octagonal hilt and was discovered in a grave in which three people were buried in quick succession with bronze objects, the Bavarian state agency for the preservation of historical monuments (BLfD) said. It is not yet clear whether the three – a man, a woman and a teenager – were related.
The sword they were buried with probably dates from the late 14th century BC, in the Bronze Age, the BLfD says. The head of the agency, Professor Mathias Pfeil, says that the find is still under investigation, but “we can already say that the state of preservation is extraordinary.” “A find like this is very rare,” says Pfeil.