German archeologists find Bronze Age sword so well-preserved it 'almost shines'

Officials say a bronze sword made more than 3,000 years ago that is so well-preserved it “almost still shines” has been unearthed in Germany. Bavaria’s state office for the preservation of historical monuments says the sword, which is believed to date back to the end of the 14th century B.C. — the middle of the Bronze Age — was found during excavations last week in Noerdlingen, in southern Germany. It has a solid octagonal hilt and comes from a grave in which three people — a man, a woman and a boy — were buried in quick succession with bronze objects. It isn’t clear whether the three were related to each other and, if so, how.