[Jennifer S]

First, let me plead ignorance here. This isn't my field at all, so I could be totally off base.

That said -

Doing laundry this morning, I came across a holey sock, and tore the sock open as I pitched it into the trash - it's an old habit based on removing the temptation to keep failing things in use where they can become a problem later.

... and then I remembered all those bronze swords folded back on themselves uncovered in archaeological contexts, and how I'd always read it was a ritual thing.

I know lots of the firearms people I know will smash flat ammunition magazines if they misbehave, so no one gets himself in trouble accidentally relying on a piece of equipment that could let him down.

Do we know then that bending those swords was a purely ritual purpose? Or do bronze blades wear in such a fashion (perhaps bending and being re-straightened a few times?) that - like with a busted magazine - at some point it becomes wiser to remove the temptation to bring a too-prone-to-failure blade back into service?

It seems material costs would encourage recycling rather than mangle-and-pitch.. but I could imagine either custom or the requirements of campaign limiting that option.

Again, pardon if it's a stupid question. And thanks for the enlightenment.

[Dan Howard]

The way in which the swords have been bent is very unlikely to occur with regular use. I have no doubt that it is deliberate but nobody can say for sure why it was done. Some of them seem to have been specifically made for the purpose because they are not "combat ready" (no grip, unsharpened, etc.)

[Matthew Amt]

Yeah, it takes a surprising amount of work to fold a bronze sword in half, or roll it up in a circle. It was certainly done for a purpose beyond just making it unusable because of some failure. (Though I don't think your question was stupid!)

Simplest answer, the weapon had to be "killed" to pass along to the next world, either with the deceased owner (whoever was getting buried), or as a dedication to the gods/spirit world/whatever.

As a point of interest, sacrificing of weapons did not end with the Bronze Age, by any means. Classical Greek temples were *filled* with armor and weapons, many of them broken or mutilated in some way. Helmets typically had their cheekpieces and nasals bent back 180 degrees. Most Greek swords are found with their hilts broken, either at the pommel or across the grip, with such frequency and regularity that I'm wondering if there was some kind of notch or groove in a temple wall designed for just that purpose! Stick the pommel in, wrench the sword back and forth until the tang cracks through. One of my books has a drawing of a Greek sword with the tang rolled up like a stick of chewing gum. THAT freaked me out. (Told me I'd made tangs too thick on my own Greek swords, too!)

Oddly, I don't know what the Greeks ever wrote about these practices. They *did* have meticulous temple inventories, regularly updated, so it's clear that stuff left in a temple was meant to stay. Though we also see that the clutter at Olympia got so bad that the inventory was cleared out by dumping helmets down wells and pits, while old shields were apparently used to shore up a side of the new stadium.

The Romans generally followed Greek sacrificial practices. But out in the provinces, native habits were the rule. So we find tons and tons of weaponry dumped in bogs and lakes. Some of the pieces seem undamaged, though it's often impossible to tell what might have been done to the wooden parts of a shield or spear if we only find the metal. Other things like helmets or even belt parts might be chopped or crushed with an axe or other heavy blow.

It should be noted that water sacrifices of weapons are recorded into the 14th century AD! It's not something that went away entirely with Christianity. But ritualistic it certainly was.

Matthew

[J. Nicolaysen]

HI Jennifer, I thought it was a good and interesting question.


When in doubt as to an archaeological find, call it "ritual practice", right?

Dan, it was interesting to hear that some weapons may have been made just for this purpose, thanks.

Matthew, it was interesting to hear that water sacrifices lasted so long, unto the 14th century. Where were these at?

[Aaron Hoard]

Unlike a gun magazine that would be difficult to recycle (or, we just don't do it because we have an abundance of resources), I would guess that a bronze sword could be melted down and turned into something else if it got damaged beyond use.

[Matthew Amt]

[Niels Just Rasmussen]

[Jennifer S]

Wow - thank you all!

Lots of information I'd not heard before - I sincerely appreciate your time, and the pointers to more to learn!

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

The only known weakness of most bronze swords is that their blades had to be straightened after use. Very tiring.

[Matthew Amt]

[Mikko Kuusirati]

[Alexis Bataille]

https://www.academia.edu/1289907/Use-wear_analysis_and_use-patterns_of_Bronze_Age_swords
here is how you use greek bronze sword

[William M]

Fantastic, thank you for that PDF . Downloaded for future reference.

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

I watched that Neil Burridge bronze sword video. The sword's blade straightened itself after Skallagrim tested it.