Two well-preserved daggers from the Bronze Age have been discovered in a field in the municipality of Kutenholz, Lower Saxony, Germany.
As old as the Nebra Sky Disk: one of the bronze blades found in Kutenholz. Credit: Stade District/Christian Schmidt
The over 3,000-year-old artifacts are among the earliest Bronze Age findings in the region. Their discovery has provided new insights into the ritual practices of ancient communities in the eastern part of Central Europe.
The initial sign of the finding came in 2017 when metal detectorist Frank Hoferichter detected bronze pieces in the field. In collaboration with district archaeologist Daniel Nösler, Hoferichter ᴀssisted researchers in returning to the site to explore the discovery in more detail.
Researchers from the University of Hamburg have been conducting geomagnetic surveys of the field since 2023, allowing them to detect subterranean anomalies without digging. The surveys indicated the presence of large buried objects and therefore the archaeologists dug further.
Archaeology professor Mörtz and his team have combined the most recent finds with those from 2017 at the Hamburg Insтιтute: a bronze blade and middle section. Credit: University of Hamburg
Excavation revealed the two buried daggers at a depth of 30 centimeters (around 11 inches). The researchers were surprised that the artifacts remained in good condition despite the fact that the land had been utilized for agricultural purposes for years.
“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,” district archaeologist Daniel Nösler said in a statement published by Stade district officials.
This is what the original daggers might have looked like: District archaeologist Daniel Nösler, metal detectorist Frank Hoferichter, and Professor Tobias Mörtz at the site near Kutenholz. Credit: Stade District/Christian Schmidt
On the Geest hill near Kutenholz, the scientists discovered further archaeological finds: Melike Fidan documents a stone setting. Credit: Stade District/Christian Schmidt
The daggers, crafted from bronze—a copper-tin alloy—date from around 1500 BCE, which places them around the same time as the renowned Nebra Sky Disk. Experts believe the blades were attached to wooden handles, which have long since decayed.
Professor Tobias Mörtz, a specialist in Bronze Age weapon deposits at the University of Hamburg, said the daggers were likely buried in the ground as ritual offerings and not used in combat. “The daggers likely had ritual significance with a religious or ideological background,” he said.
The dagger discovery sites and other archaeological investigation sites on a 28-meter-high hill near Kutenholz. Credit: Franz Kraus, Archaeology Group Stade
Interestingly, the two blades stood vertically at the highest elevation of the Kutenholz area, 28 meters above sea level. One dagger was discovered standing upright, and the other was slightly tilted, perhaps displaced by centuries of plowing. The absence of human graves or other artifacts nearby supports the theory that the daggers were symbolic or ceremonial, rather than grave goods or practical weapons.
The artifacts were transferred to the University of Hamburg for examination and restoration. Researchers expect future research to reveal more about the religious and cultural practices of Bronze Age societies in the region.
Source: Stade District Service Portal
