Archaeologists excavating a field in the municipality of Kutenholz in the Stade District, in Lower Saxony, Germany, have discovered two well-preserved Bronze Age daggers which are believed to date back 3,000 years. The discovery shed light upon the rituals and belief systems of ancient European communities.
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The site was first encountered by a metal detectorist in 2017. In 2023, after assessing the contents buried below the soil, targeted excavations began in four designated zones of a cornfield. “With geomagnetic prospection, archaeological structures in the ground can be made visible even without excavation,” archaeologist Daniel Nösler explained in a statement released by Stade district officials (via Ancient Origins).
Archaeological Group Stade District
Archaeological Group Stade District
Shortly after the excavation began, archaeologists diverted the two daggers buried under about 11 inches of soil. Both were remarkably well-preserved, with the blades in pristine, unbent condition. “One of the blades was stuck vertically in the ground, another was also lying almost vertically in the sand, possibly hit by a plow,” Nösler said. “It is a stroke of luck that the daggers were not destroyed at such a shallow depth in the area, which has been cultivated with agricultural equipment for years.”
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The daggers were crafted with a copper-tin alloy which dates back to around 1500 B.C. Though the wooden handles have long since degraded and disappeared, scientists were able to determine from the shape of the blade that the knives were used for ceremonial and burial purposes rather than in active combat. “The daggers likely had ritual significance with a religious or ideological background,” said Tobias Mörtz, an expert in Bronze Age weapons deposits.
Archaeological Group Stade District
Archaeological Group Stade District
Both daggers are currently at the University of Hamburg, where they are undergoing analysis and restoration. Researchers are hopeful that the daggers will provide further information about previously unknown Bronze Age cultural practices from this region.
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