Sword

The bronze sword from Kodrąb is part of the hoard that also contained two neck-rings - one spirally twisted, and one the so-called neck-collar – and an axe made of antler, a fibula, and probably a sickle. The items were discovered in a bog pit probably in the middle of the 19th century.

The sword has a rectangular handle with a kidney-shaped end and a tapered guard. The ornaments on the sword include decorative rivets on the handle and points in the upper part of the blade. It corresponds to the swords known from the culture of the Nordic Bronze Age, which was present in northern Germany, Denmark, and southern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The hoard is dated to the earlier Bronze Age (ca. 900–750 BC) and is related to the population of the Lusatian culture. The presented object shows a noticeable tendency that occurred in the Pomerania region, connected with the increase of imported or locally manufactured objects from the Nordic cultures. The discoveries from that period include swords. The scale of this exclusively Pomeranian phenomenon may be determined by the fact that the majority of swords discovered on Polish grounds came from that region. While comparing Pomeranian discoveries with other regions inhabited by populations of the Lusatian culture, one may notice discrepancies resulting not only from economic differences but also from various ideologies of the Middle Bronze Age.

Monika Witek