Bronze Sword Blade, concave and splayed at the shoulders
Description
Bronze Short Sword Blade, dating to about 1000 B.C. Mycenaean or Western Asiatic. A wide flat rib, narrowing toward the tip. Shoulder widening like the Mycenaean and Cycladic blades. Remains of round incuse hilt mount. Thick green patina under some mineral incrustations. Blade intact. Original lenght with organic hilt estimated at 430 mm.
The Mycenaean civilization (c. 1600-1100 BC) developed a warrior aristocracy whose military equipment became legendary. Mycenaean bronze smiths achieved alloy compositions and blade geometries unsurpassed until the development of tempered steel. Their weapons reflect the martial culture celebrated in Homeric epic.
