One of the oldest swords on record, mistakenly grouped with medieval artifacts in a secluded Italian museum. The ancient sword was thought to be medieval in origin and maybe a few hundred years old at most–but studies have shown that it dates back about 5,000 years, to what is now eastern Turkey, where swords are thought to have been invented, in the early Bronze Age.
The weapon is made of arsenical copper, an alloy of copper and arsenic used about 5,000 years ago, before true bronze was invented by alloying copper and tin. The style of construction of the sword, known as its typology, and its metallic composition indicate that the artifact dates from an early stage of the Bronze Age.
Sources:
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice/Andrea Avezzù
Student discovers 5,000-year-old sword hidden in Venetian monastery. By Tom Metcalfe – Live Science Contributor March 11, 2020. Accessed 20200422 – https://www.livescience.com/ancient-anatolian-sword-in-venetian-monastery.html