Western Asiatic Bronze Large Sword blade with long thin tang

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Title

Western Asiatic Bronze Large Sword blade with long thin tang

Description

Very large bronze sword blade. The blade is wide at its hilt, with a sturdy tang, and tapers into a long triangular shape with a low ridge down its length.

Catalogue Number

443999641

Category

Swords & Daggers

Period

1300--900 BCE

Culture

Luristan, Assyrian, Babylonian, Near Eastern

Material

Bronze

Dimensions and weight

L: 555 mm, W: 53 mm, Weight: 369 g

Reference Items

Dr Khorasani classifies this blade as a Type VI spearhead (Cat. 275) Moshtagh Khorasani, M. (2006). Arms and armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the end of the Qajar period. Legat Verlag., p. 628. Specimen described by Dr Khorasani is 47 cm long, width at forte 40 mm, weight 331 g, with slightly more squared shoulder, attributed to Marlik/Gabur Heshlag, Marlik Royal cemetery, 14th-10th C. BCE. National Museum of Iran No 25383/8380.

Historical Significance

Bronze swords represent the pinnacle of pre-iron weapon technology. Casting a long blade required precise control of the copper-tin alloy ratio (typically ~10% tin), mould design, and cooling rate. This metallurgical knowledge, developed over centuries of empirical practice, represents one of the great achievements of ancient technology.

Curator Rating

3

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