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The Forge of Vulcan by Diego Velázquez (1630) (Public Domain)

Excalibur: Extracting Swords From Stone, Ancient Metallurgical Metaphors

The first mention of the famous ‘Sword in the Stone’ of the Arthurian tradition is found in Robert de Boron’s Merlin , a medieval French poem, part of the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail cycle of French...
State archaeologist Dr. Detlef Jantzen holds examines a Bronze Age sword at the presentation of the find.Source: Mecklenburg Ministry of Culture

Fearsome Swords and Fascinating Hoards Unearthed in Pomerania, Germany

In an extraordinary display of historical significance, volunteer archaeologists in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have uncovered three remarkable finds from the past, as announced by the State Office...
Representational image of Kendo training in Japan. Source: jtanki / Adobe Stock

The Ancient Origins of Kendo: From Samurai to Sportsmanship

Kendo, the practice of Japanese swordsmanship, is one of the most popular martial arts today. Yet few people fully appreciate this sport’s fascinating origins and what its evolution can tell us about...
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cotswold District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Health and Emma Stuart, Corinium Museum Director. Proudly exhibiting the Roman swords recently found during a detectorist rally. Source: Cotswold district Council

Two Out of Place Roman Swords Dug Up By Cotswolds Detectorist

A treasure hunter participating in a metal detectorist rally in England’s Cotswolds District unearthed not one, but two ancient Roman swords. These two weapons are unlike most Roman swords discovered...
Longsword fighting. Source: Cyberguru / CC by SA 4.0.

Longsword Fighting, A Once-Forgotten Martial Art Resurfaces (Video)

In recent years Longsword fighting, a once-forgotten martial art has experienced a modern resurgence across the USA. Referred to as German longsword, it traces its roots to the late Middle Ages , but...
Archaeologists Oriya Amichay and Hagay Hamer removing one of the Roman swords from the crevice where they were hidden. Source: Amir Ganor/Israel Antiquities Authority

Four 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found in Dead Sea Cave

Archaeologists working with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a remarkable cache in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea: four Roman swords in "almost perfect condition," believed...
Anne and Oddbjørn Holum Heiland have discovered a Viking age burial with weaponry and jewelry from about 1200 years ago during a home renovation. Source: Joakim Wintervoll/Science Norway

Viking Burial, Sword, and Treasure Unearthed During Home Remodeling Excavation

Little did Oddbjørn Holum Heiland know what he would find when he embarked on a Friday night project, commencing excavation work behind his 1740 Setesdalshouse alongside his wife, Anne. Long story...
A chance discovery revealed that the world’s oldest swords were linked to another mislabeled sword in Italy. Father Serafino Jamourlian and Vittoria Dall'Armellina showing the sword. (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)

Metallurgy Prowess Revealed by World’s Oldest Swords Discovered in Turkey

A selection of ancient swords, discovered at the Turkish archaeological site of Arslantepe, are believed to be the first and oldest swords in the world. Dating back to the Early Bronze Age, these 5,...
Sword fighters were highly skilled warriors, but these seven are legendary.	Source: adimas / Adobe Stock

7 of The Most Skilled Sword Fighters in History

Besides perhaps the gun, no other weapon has been as heavily romanticized as the sword. For millennia, we’ve been using the sword to settle debates, both personal quarrels in the form of duels, and...
The backboard of the Kiribati armor was designed to protect from rear attacks (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0)

Kiribati Coconut Armor - Not as Nutty as it Sounds!

At first sight, Kiribati armor might look a little strange, it is certainly not a suit of armor as we tend to think of it. It was surprisingly effective, given that it was made from coconut fibers,...
Left, King Boleslaw, Right; the sword from the Boleshaw era found in Poland.  Source: Left; CC BY-SA 3.0 / Right; Joanna Klimek-Szymanowicz Wójt Gminy Lewin Kłodzki / The First News

1,000-year-old Polish Boleslaw Sword Reveals Glorious Knighthood Era

A 1,000-year-old “Boleslaw sword” (i.e., from the glorious reign of Boleslaw the Brave; lived 967-1025 AD) dated to the beginning of the 11th century and believed to have belonged to a knight working...
Viking sword in a Norse landscape…or is it? 	Source: James Thew / Adobe Stock

What’s a Viking Sword? What’s not? The Distinctions of Norse Weaponry

A scourge of early medieval Europe, the Vikings were a fearsome group. The very thought of a Viking sword slashing before you conjures images of fearless warriors raiding and pillaging villages,...
Top; The short Hallstatt sword with design was characteristic of the Bronze Age. Middle; Longer sword, designed to take advantage of the stronger properties of iron and was dated to the very beginnings of the Iron Age.	Bottom; Bowl-head pin made of a non-ferrous metal alloy.

2,800-year-old Hallstatt Swords Rewrite Bronze to Iron Age Technological Leap

Two extremely rare early Iron Age Hallstatt swords dating to the eighth century BC have been unearthed in the Bavarian town of Andechs in Starnberg district. These 2800-year-old swords are among the...
Composite of in-article images

Six of the Best: A Run Down of Last Week’s Top Stories

In last week’s top stories; features on the magic mushrooms of the Aztecs, and their devastating weapons arsenal, a very lucky 10-year-old, a tooled-up Roman mercenary, the world’s first known...
The gold and garnet sword harness pyramid found in Norfolk, England.

Sword Harness Pyramid With Rare Gems Unearthed In England

A UK metal detectorist has unearthed a rare 1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon sword harness pyramid crafted in gold and garnet from India or Sri Lanka. This tiny, bejeweled treasure was discovered in April...
Iron Age weapons and other artifacts found at the Wildenberg Castle site in Germany.

Massive Stash of Iron Age Weapons Reveals Victory Rituals

A massive Iron Age weapons armory has been discovered in North Rhine-Westphalia at Wildenberg Castle, Germany, the biggest find of its kind ever. Archaeologists from the reputed Regional Association...
The first trailer for The Dig about the Sutton Hoo treasure hoard, filmed in Suffolk, has been released.

Netflix Film Tells Dramatic Story of Sutton Hoo Treasure Discovery

Netflix has released the first trailer for “ The Dig ,” a new film set in England and based on the drama surrounding the history changing discovery of the Sutton Hoo burial site and treasure hoard...
Czech Mushroom Hunter Finds 3,300-Year-Old Bronze Age Sword

Czech Mushroom Hunter Finds 3,300-Year-Old Bronze Age Sword

A mushroom hunter in the Czech Republic has made the chance discovery of a rare, 3,300-year-old Bronze Age sword . Dedicated metal detectorists in the land must be feeling mixed emotions today as...
The human remains on the riverbank may be part of a medieval cemetery. Representative image. Source: milkovasa /Adobe Stock

Skeleton On Irish Riverbank Points To Long Lost Medieval Cemetery

In Ireland, two people out for a walk made a disturbing discovery. They found the skeletal remains of a human on the bank of a river. It is believed that the skeleton comes from a long-lost medieval...
Some of the hundreds of sword parts found in Estonia.          Source: Estonia Dept for the Protection of Antiquities / ERR

Huge Hoard of Viking Sword Parts Found in Estonia

Archaeologists have uncovered the fragments of about a hundred swords that once belonged to Viking warriors . They were unearthed in the Baltic country of Estonia. The experts believe that the...
Meteorite swords came from the heavens. Credit: mdorottya / Adobe Stock  By Aleksa Vučković

Meteorite Swords Forged from the Fire of the Heavens

From the earliest conscious moments of the human race, we looked up into the distant night sky in wonder and amazement. Our early ancestors glanced at the same skies we see today and pondered the...
Detail of the Laxe dos Carballos  at Campo Lameiro, Galicia, Spain

A Walk Amongst the Petroglyphs of Galicia: Prehistoric Designs Trace Life and Times of Bronze Age Europeans

From the Upper Palaeolithic and down through the Neolithic, the Chalcolithic and into the Bronze Age, our ancestors in western Europe left behind traces of their thoughts and beliefs through rock art...
Human bones dating to the Late Iron Age.

150,000 fled for their lives, but were slaughtered by Julius Caesar army, bones reveal

A cache of bones and artifacts buried at a site near to where the Waal and Meuse rivers meet testify to a genocidal slaughter of tragic proportions. As recorded by Julius Caesar himself, a bloody...

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