Space Age Technology Reveals Secrets of Bronze Age Sword

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IIn 2023, archaeologists excavating a burial mound near the town of Nördlingen in Bavaria, Germany, discovered a pay tomb: a Bronze Age tomb containing the remains of a man, a woman, and a child as well as a multitude of artifacts. What really caught their eye, however, was a remarkably well-preserved sword with a unique octagonal hilt.

The blade was in exceptional condition for being 3,400 years old, also retaining a metallic luster and some sharpness. There were no impact marks on it, indicating that the sword may have been ceremonial. The hilt was decorated with a zigzag grooved pattern with a pommel featuring an inlay of intricate geometric designs. Overall, it was a fascinating specimen.

To investigate the incredible craftsmanship of this discovery, Johann-Friedrich Tolksdorf and Beate Herbold of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments brought the sword to materials scientists Nikolay Kardjilov, Martin Radtke and Manuela Klaus in Berlin.

“Such swords were very expensive to make,” Herbold said in a statement. “We wanted to know how the handle was connected to the blade at that time and how decorative designs were incorporated at that time.”

To see the inside of the sword, the team created a three-dimensional image using high-resolution CT scanning and X-ray diffraction.

“The scanner shows that the blade was clamped in the handle with a shank, that is, an extension of the blade, and riveted,” Tolkdorf explained. “The resolution of the scanner is so high that we can even examine the material and traces of decorative work.”

Read more: “The staff is an unsung hero of human evolution”

Next, they took a closer look at the inlaid pommel, bombarding it with X-rays to reveal what metal ancient artisans used to create the contrasting pattern.

“We irradiate the pommel surfaces with intense synchrotron radiation,” Radtke said. “This excites the atoms in the material, causing them to emit element-specific X-rays, which we then measure. We can detect even the smallest traces of elements.”

What they discovered was a surprise. Instead of tin, the soft, workable metal they expected to find, they discovered delicate copper cables.

“We are familiar with this type of inlay work using copper wires in bronze from other finds,” Tolksdorf said. “To better bring out the reddish copper of the gilded bronze, it may have been patinated, that is, chemically blackened, for example with urine.”

Finally, the team performed internal stress analyzes to gather information about the metal’s structure to reveal the ancient manufacturing processes that forged the blade. Once their analyzes are complete, they plan to publish their results.

“We hope to also be able to determine whether this sword was made in a specific workshop, for example. So far we can only assume that it was made in southern Germany, one of the two main regions where octagonal swords were prevalent in Bronze Age Germany,” Tolksdorf said.

From a forge in 14th century Bavaria to an X-ray machine in 21st century Berlin, it’s an incredible journey for a sword.

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Main image: Das Schwert am Fundort © Archäologie-Büro Dr. Woidich/Sergiu Tifui

• Jake Currie

  Published on February 18, 2026

  Jake Currie is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York.