Underwater archaeologists have discovered a 3,000-year-old bronze sword during excavations of a submerged Bronze Age settlement in Lake Mezzano, Italy.
The sword was discovered along the southern shore of the lake during the latest research season by archaeologists from the Underwater Archaeology Service of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria.
According to the researchers, the sword dates from the 13th century BC during the Late Bronze Age and is remarkably well preserved, with the cutting edge still retaining its sharpness after more than three millennia underwater.
It is the third bronze sword recovered from Lake Mezzano since archaeological investigations began at the site during the 1970s.
Lake Mezzano occupies the crater of an extinct volcano in the Tuscia region of central Italy. Beneath its waters are the remains of an extensive prehistoric settlement constructed on wooden structures, with occupation beginning during the Early Bronze Age in the early 2nd millennium BC and continuing through subsequent phases of prehistory.
The newly discovered sword corresponds with weapon-making traditions found in central Italy during the Late Bronze Age, when communities maintained extensive networks of communication and exchange across the Italian Peninsula and wider Mediterranean.
Bronze weapons during this period also represented more than functional objects, with swords and other weaponry being associated with expressions of status, identity and social power.
Archaeologists recovered several additional objects during the same excavation season, including complete ceramic vessels, bronze axes, arrowheads, daggers, spearheads, needles and a razor.
The sword was discovered in close proximity to the bronze razor, an association that researchers say is also documented at other Bronze Age sites and may be connected with individuals of elevated social status, including members of a warrior elite.
Researchers are also investigating why numerous metal objects were deposited in and around the settlement.
Bronze swords, axes and spearheads have been recovered from wetlands and bodies of water across prehistoric Europe, with some examples interpreted as deliberate deposits associated with ritual practices connected to water.
At Lake Mezzano, archaeologists have observed a notable consistency in the depths at which metal artefacts occur across different parts of the submerged site. Further investigation could help determine whether the objects represent deliberate deposition or accumulated through other processes affecting the settlement.
The waterlogged environment of Lake Mezzano has resulted in the preservation of an extensive archaeological and environmental record, providing evidence for craft production, exchange and social organisation among the prehistoric communities inhabiting the Tuscia region.
Underwater conservators assisted during the recovery of the newly discovered artefacts, allowing conservation treatments to begin immediately after their removal from the lake.
Further underwater excavations will focus on documenting the spatial distribution of artefacts and archaeological features throughout the submerged settlement using advanced surveying and mapping techniques.
According to the Superintendency, research at Lake Mezzano will continue over the coming years, while a selection of bronze artefacts recovered from the site is planned for display in a future exhibition.
Sources : Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la provincia di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale
