A ritually bent sword 


A ritually bent sword 
was discovered in Lachmirowice in the Inowrocław district. It was forged around the 2nd - 1st century B.C. The sword is bent, has a broken tip and a damaged handle. The whole thing is heavily corroded. The blade shows chipping, which centuries of corrosion have further accentuated. After conservation, the porous pitting has become evident. On the grey metallic surface, copper alloy has been preserved in places. Here we can guess at the remains of decoration - sword inlay or fragments of scabbard fittings melted on the pile. Shattered, ritually bent metal fittings are found in prehistoric graves. The custom is associated with funerary rites and was borrowed from the Celtic circle. The surviving length is 60 cm and the width of the head is 3-4 cm.