19 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2800-year-old two Swords found in Germany from the start of the Iron Age

During archaeological excavations in preparation for the construction of the fire station in the Frieding district of Andechs in southern Germany, archaeologists discovered two extremely rare and partly well-preserved early Iron Age swords.

The swords are dated to the 8th century BC, to the Hallstatt period.

The swords are among the oldest iron swords ever discovered in southern Germany. What makes them even more special is that they have an important transitional stage from the use of bronze to the use of iron in weapons.

Although both swords were made of iron, the first was shaped and styled as a bronze sword, and the other had an adapted design to advantage the stronger and more stable metal.

The shorter one was probably used as a stabbing weapon in man-to-man combat, while the longer, heavier one was more suitable as a stabbing weapon that the fighter could use from above, for example, on horseback.

Photo: BLFD

A team of restorers at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation in Munich used micro-fine blasting technology to clean the swords and inspect them more attentively. The blades are partially heavily corroded, the handles are missing. However, remnants of horn were found on one of the so-called handle tongues, indicating that the handle was constructed of this material. On the handle, two of the four rivets that fastened the horn plates on the grip tongue are still visible. Because no comparable connection remnants can be found on the other sword, restorers and archaeologists believe the hilt was affixed with a resin glue. It’s impossible to tell what kind of material it was composed of anymore.

Discovered swords were grave goods, with each sword buried with cremated remains in a separate tomb. As was customary at that time, the deceased were cremated. Remains of multiple layers of linen woven fabric were found on both swords, as well as the remains of a cord that must have been wrapped around it in several places. These finds showed that the weapons were wrapped in a cloth.

9.6 centimeter, bowl-head pin. Photo: BLFD

In addition to swords, up to three vessels were found, which were only in pieces, as well as a high concentration of human remains, called cremations. The concentration of the remains in certain areas suggested to archaeologists that they were originally placed in an organic container, such as a cloth bag, and later buried next to the weapons.

The team of archaeologists documented a total of eight burials at the site. They can be assigned to the Hallstatt period according to their grave goods. Among the grave goods found a bowl-head pin, bronze jewelry, vessels, and spindle whorls.

Cover Photo: Well-preserved Iron Age sword from Andechs-Frieding (Photo: BLFD)

BLFD

Related Articles

New fortifications unearthed in Porsuk Mound excavations

11 August 2021

11 August 2021

In the excavations of Porsuk Mound, which is an important Hittite settlement and where traces of settlement remains can be...

The Entire Genome Of 35,000-Year-Old Skull From Romania Sequenced “Peştera Muierii 1”

24 May 2021

24 May 2021

Researchers have successfully sequenced the whole genome from the skull of Peştera Muierii 1, women who lived in today’s Romania...

2700-year-old Assyrian carvings found near Mashki Gate destroyed by Isis

20 October 2022

20 October 2022

The U.S. and Iraqi archaeologists have unearthed ancient rock carvings believed to be more than 2,700 years old in Iraq’s...

Hundreds Of Mummified Bees inside their Cocoons from the Time of the Pharaohs found in Portugal

25 August 2023

25 August 2023

Hundreds of mummified bees inside their cocoons have been found on the southwest coast of Portugal, in a new paleontological...

New Research Shows Angkor Wat’s Incredible Population Density

11 May 2021

11 May 2021

Angkor Wat was the grand capital of ancient Cambodia. The population of Angkor Wat, one of the most magnificent cities...

Archaeologists Unearth 2500-Year-Old Settlement in North Macedonia

10 April 2025

10 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations at Gradishte, near the village of Crnobuki in North Macedonia, have unveiled a significant ancient settlement that...

Two statuettes of Demeter discovered in Aigai, the ‘city of goats’ of the Aeolians in western Türkiye

20 November 2023

20 November 2023

Two statuettes of Demeter, the Greek goddess of earth and fertility, were discovered in a cistern in the ancient city...

The earliest manuscript of Gospel about Jesus’s childhood discovered in Germany

14 June 2024

14 June 2024

A newly deciphered manuscript dating back 1,600 years has been determined to be the oldest record of Jesus Christ’s childhood,...

Southwest Germany’s Oldest Gold Artifact Found

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists discovered the 3,800-year-old burial of a woman who died when she was around 20 years old in what is...

Archaeologists found a medieval skeleton with a prosthetic hand in Freising, Germany

28 October 2023

28 October 2023

Archaeologists in the city of Freising in Bavaria, Germany, unearthed containing a skeleton with a prosthetic hand. The metal part...

Archaeologists Uncover Monumental Roman Building Near Waal River in Nijmegen, Netherlands

4 June 2025

4 June 2025

During a routine excavation ahead of a major urban development in the Waalfront district of Nijmegen, municipal archaeologists have uncovered...

Xujiayao hominid’s brain in China had the biggest known brain of the time

17 January 2022

17 January 2022

A study showed that the ancient relatives of modern humans in northern China may have had an “Einstein’s brain” at...

Archaeologists discovered on Tunisian coast three shipwrecks, one of which 2,000 years old

8 June 2023

8 June 2023

A team of archaeologists from eight countries—Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia bordering the Mediterranean Sea has...

New Study Reveals Ancient Secrets of the 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc

2 December 2024

2 December 2024

Discovered in 1999 in Germany, the Nebra Sky Disc is the oldest known depiction of the cosmos. A recent examination...

Excavations at Körzüt Castle unearth 2 cuneiform inscriptions and a new Urartian Susi temple

25 October 2023

25 October 2023

During the rescue excavations carried out at the Körzüt Castle in the Muradiye district of Van province in eastern Turkey,...