Vollgriffschwert mit Schalenknauf - Symbol und Waffe

Archäologische Staatssammlung München

Description

In the Bronze Age, swords were often plunged into water as sacrifices. Such a sacrifcial offering is the sword from Königsdorf. It was discovered while cutting peat in 1909 and belongs to the most beautiful and exquisite swords of its time from Bavaria. It shows no signs of wear. The rich and exactly executed decoration is excellently preserved under the dark swamp patina. In the tenth century BC only few armed men in Bavaria carried such a solid-hilted sword with a bowl-shaped pommel. These swords represent the western-most examples of a type of sword known especially in Hungary. Although the sword was used as a weapon during the younger urnfield period, it obviously retained its original function as an upper class status or power symbol in this country in the form of particularly richly decorated swords

Author

Archäologische Staatssammlung München

Rights Statement Description

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0