A man hunting for mushrooms found an intricately designed sword in a forest in the Czech Republic. According to Radio Prague International, it was a Bronze Age sword dating back 3,300 years ago.
Roman Novák was mushroom hunting after it just rained in Jesenick, a district in Northern Moravia located only 150 miles from Prague when he saw a piece of metal sticking out of some stones. He kicked it and found that it was a blade and decided to dig some more and found the Bronze Age sword.
Additionally, when he dug some more, he also discovered a bronze ax from the same era nearby. His discovery has excited many archaeologists who planned to do an excavation in the area.
Bronze Age Sword
Archaeologist Jiří Juchelka from the Silesian Museum and his colleagues finished the analysis of the artifacts and established that these intricately patterned bronze sword and ax found were from the Bronze Age in northern Europe which appears to be most similar to Vasby swords.
He said that the bronze sword was probably made outside the region where it was found judging from its intricate design, LiveScience reported. While the bronze ax may be locally produced.
Additionally, he told the Radio Prague International that the sword would have been expensive during the Bronze Age, the time when the Umfield cause was just emerging in central Europe.
The bronze sword was the most common way of making swords at the time which involved the pouring of molten bronze into a mold rather than the practice of later iron swords wherein the red-hot metal was hammered into shape. X-rays showed the air bubbles throughout the sword, which explains how it was crafted.
Most likely, the sword was used during celebrations rather than in combat, Juchelka said. However, archaeologists are not yet sure how the two metals, the sword, and the ax, ended up together in the Czech forest. Perhaps the finds may be related to some religious themes, although it is hard to know this time.
Read Also : Archaeologists Unearthed 8,000 Year-Old Fluted Point Stone Tool Technology on the Arabian Peninsula
Intricate Design of the Bronze Age Sword
The Bronze age sword has an octagonal handle that also has a bronze hilt intricately carved with crescents and circles, according to MailOnline. Its base is still intact, but the blade near it is broken. Experts said that the sword is just like the ones used by people in the past from what is now Northern Germany.
"They were obviously trying their best, but the quality of the casting was actually pretty low," said Juchelka. "X-ray tests show that there are many small bubbles inside the weapon."
Archaelogists are now planning an excavation mission in the area after this amazing discovery.
Read More : 6,600-Year-Old Grave Sites Revealed Social and Economic Inequality Happened Even in Prehistoric Times
Check out more news and information on Archaeology in Science Times.
