Ancient bronze sword found in Italian volcanic crater remains sharp after 3,300 years

In Lake Mezzano, a volcanic body of water roughly 100 kilometers northwest of Rome, researchers have retrieved a bronze sword that remains sharp after 3,300 years [58]. This artifact dates back to the Late Bronze Age, specifically between the 14th and 13th centuries B.C. [58].

The find occurred during investigations of a submerged settlement that once consisted of ancient stilt houses [58]. According to local archaeological authorities for the Viterbo and Southern Etruria regions, this marks the third time a similar bronze weapon has been pulled from Lake Mezzano in the past five decades [58].

Alongside the sword, the team uncovered various other items from the prehistoric site, including pins, daggers, spearheads, arrowheads, axes, whole vases, and a bronze razor [58]. Because the razor was located in close proximity to the sword, researchers suggest these objects might have belonged to a person of significant social standing, perhaps an elite warrior [58].

The location of the sword in the lake could also point to religious ceremonies [58]. During the Bronze Age, it was common to cast jewelry or intentionally damaged objects into bodies of water as offerings, a tradition that persisted through the centuries and into the era of the Etruscans [58]. This type of ritual behavior even extended to the practice of using artifacts and human sacrifices to ritually "close" wells during the Etruscan period [58].

During the 13th century B.C., communities in central Italy participated in trade networks that reached across the Mediterranean [58]. These discoveries may clarify how prehistoric Italian societies functioned long before the emergence of the Romans and Etruscans [58]. Scientists intend to conduct more studies at the site in the coming years to further investigate these findings [58].