2,500-year-old rare Bronze Age sword with iron rivets unearthed in Danish swamp

According to reports, a Bronze Age sword, believed to be around 2,500 years old, has been discovered in a swamp near Veksø, Denmark. The artifact, bent into an S shape, is said to be part of a ritual offering. According to ROMU, a Danish museum group, the discovery also includes additional Bronze Age objects such as axes and anklets. The artifacts were identified by a metal detector, which immediately alerted ROMU archaeologists.

Findings suggest ritual practices

ROMU archaeologist Emil Winther Struve described in a statement discovery equally important, noting that offerings in marshes were less common during the Late Bronze Age. Speaking to the Danish museum group, Struve noted that the sword may represent a transitional period between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Next to the sword, 70 meters away, was a large bronze neck ring, believed to have come from near the Baltic coast of Poland.

Design and cultural insights

The sword, with iron rivets in the handle, is considered one of the earliest examples of iron use in Denmark. ROMU reports suggest the weapon was likely produced in Southern Europe among the Hallstatt culture, a society known for its emphasis on warfare. Struve explained that the design signals a shift toward heavier, more durable swords intended for cutting rather than stabbing.

Historical and archaeological context

The Hallstatt culture, which reigned from the eighth to sixth centuries BC, is known for its connections to early Celtic traditions. Archaeologists emphasize that although ritual sacrifices in swamps were more common in earlier periods, similar practices involving “swamp bodies” persisted into more recent times.

This discovery, according to ROMU, underlines the evolution of weapons and cultural practices during a transformative era in European history.