Blade of a "flange-hilted" bronze sword

Culture European

Dateabout 1200 BCE

Mediumbronze

Dimensions58.3 × 4.8 cm (22 15/16 × 1 7/8 in.), 1 lb, 5.5 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.472

DescriptionBronze sword lacking side plaques. Straight blade of diamond section, slightly flaring towards spear point. Pommel tang at end of integral grip, & 2 opposing, pointed lugs, forming crude pommel. Tang pierced with row of 4 holes, 3 rivet holes on either side of blade's rounded shoulders. Low, rounded medial ridge on both faces, flattened at tip; final few centimeters of tip lacking.
Label TextThis sword is roughly contemporary with the Trojan War. The blade shows the development of metalworking technology by the late Bronze Age. The sword is long and elegant; a pair of grip-plates would be securely riveted to its base. But the blade is still thick and short compared to later swords of the iron age. This weapon was still secondary to the spear for the warrior who used it--not until steel swords were perfected in the Middle Ages would the sword become a legendary object in its own right.ProvenancePurchased by John Higgins from Sumner Healey, N.Y., April 30, 1929. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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