An ancient sword unearthed in Germany was found “still gleaming” at the time of discovery despite the fact that the weapon was about 3,300 years old.
The unusually well-preserved item was discovered last week by a team of archaeologists in the town of Nördlingen, during excavations in Bavaria.
Experts say that the extraordinary find belongs to the octagonal sword type, and is believed to date to the end of the 14th century BC – the time of the Middle Bronze Age.
Sword artifacts from this period are rare, and usually found in burial mounds. In this case, the sword was discovered in a grave beside the remains of three people – a man, a woman and a young teenage boy, all of whom had been buried in quick succession, archaeologists said.
Octagonal swords are acclaimed for their craftsmanship. Their production is complex because the handle is cast over the blade, a technique 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.
Despite the manufacturing effort and the lack of signs of a blow, it can be assumed that it was a real weapon. The center of gravity in the front part of the blade indicates a predominantly slashing balance.
Comment:
The search for “primitive” man continues, and continues to be frustrated by evidence that very ancient humans were also very intelligent and capable. The prejudice that the Germans call “urdummheit” or original stupidity, is based upon nothing other than the Darwinian view of human history. But this view is wrong, and we are warned away from believing that our generation is the best and the smartest:
True knowledge has decreased with every successive generation. God is infinite, and the first people upon the earth received their instructions from the infinite God who created the world. Those who received their knowledge direct from infinite wisdom were not deficient in knowledge. E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. IV, p. 154.
The truth is that mankind was as intelligent as he was ever going to be when God created Adam and breathed into him the breath of life.