Bronze Sword Still Sharp After 3,300 Years Beneath an Italian Lake

A sharp sword from the lake

Archaeologists found an almost complete bronze sword in Lake Mezzano, which sits in an old volcanic crater about 100 km north-west of Rome. The sword dates from the late Bronze Age, around the 13th to 14th centuries BCE. Its blade still keeps its sharp edge. The finding was announced in early October by the heritage office for the Viterbo area and southern Etruria.

Key facts

• The sword is about 3,300 years old.
• It is the third sword found in Lake Mezzano in the last 50 years.
• The site is about 100 km north-west of Rome.
• Other bronze items found include jars, axes, arrowheads, daggers, spear tips, pins and razors.

Why a lake?

Bronze Age people once built stilt houses where Lake Mezzano is today. Divers and researchers have since recovered parts of this underwater settlement. The sword and a razor were found close together. This may point to a high-status warrior. Placing metal weapons in water may also have been a common ritual, which lasted for centuries until the Etruscan period.

Why it matters

The sword shows that Bronze Age metal makers were highly skilled. It also shows that the lake bottom protected objects for thousands of years. Metal weapons at this time were also symbols of status, identity and power, not just tools for fighting. Central Italy was part of trade networks across the Mediterranean in the 13th century BCE.

What comes next

• Experts will keep surveying the lake.
• Future dives will widen the underwater digs.
• Teams will use 3D maps to record where each object lies.
• Some bronze finds from Mezzano are expected to be shown in an exhibition organised by the city of Valentano.