Sword of Großenwieden

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The sword of Großenwieden is an early medieval sword from the 10th century that was found in 2012 during excavation work in the Weser near Großenwieden . The weapon can be attributed to the Ulfberht swords based on an inscription on the blade . It is the first find of its kind in Lower Saxony .

Sword of Großenwieden
First presentation of the sword

discovery

Weser near Großenwieden

In the spring of 2012, a resident from Hilligsfeld found the almost completely preserved sword while watching the excavation work in the Weser. The finder only recognized the importance of his find in conversation with an archaeologist living nearby and a former lecturer at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen . Upon closer inspection of the sword, the finder noticed the inscription + VLFBERH + T and reported the find via the Lower Saxony State Museum to the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation , which took it over at the beginning of 2013. The district archaeologist of the state office responsible for the site, Friedrich-Wilhelm Wulf , suspects that the former bearer lost the sword while crossing the river.

description

Restoration of the sword in the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation
Sword blade with the inscription + VLFBERH + T, outlines traced in the photo below

The almost completely preserved iron sword has a length of 95 cm and a weight of almost 1 kg. The blade has a flat fillet on both sides and is only 3 mm thick in this area. The name signature + VLFBERH + T ( Ulfberht ) in Latin letters can be found on the front of the blade . It was hammered into previously excavated depressions and consists of damascene wire, which has a nickel content similar to that of stainless steel . There is a mark on the back of the blade that is a diamond pattern framed by three vertical hollow lines on the right and left sides. A crossguard , which is no longer present on one side, and a lens-shaped pommel are attached . The pommel is decorated with two crossing, heavily tanned leather straps. The sword of Großenwieden shows only parallels to a single sword in the combination of blade, handle and pommel. This was found in northern Ukraine .

Metallurgical and archaeometric studies

X-ray and computer tomographic examinations provided an insight into the inner structure of the sword . Metal analyzes showed that the sword blade is made of iron of various qualities. In exposed areas, it is made of high-quality, hardened material, the quality of which comes close to modern steel . In contrast, the iron of the crossguard and the handle, which is decorated with sheet metal made from a tin-lead alloy, is somewhat softer. Overall, the sword was a highly efficient weapon because of its stability, elasticity and lightness.

The further analysis took place with the almost non-destructive method of laser ablation in connection with mass spectrometry . The isotope analysis made it possible to determine the trace element fingerprint of the lead components in the handle decoration, which indicates an ore deposit in the Hintertaunus . The metallurgical investigations were carried out by the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Hanover . They were carried out there by the archeometry working group led by the chemist Robert Lehmann , who is the main analyst for metal investigations in Lower Saxony's archeology projects.

Cultural-historical classification

Pommel, grip, quillons and blade with the barely legible inscription + VLFBERH + T

Swords with the blade inscription Ulfberht were made in the Frankish Empire during the Carolingian and Ottonian times from the late 8th century to the 10th century, and in some cases up to the 11th century. According to the district archaeologist of the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation, Friedrich-Wilhelm Wulf, the namesake could have been a blacksmith, a ruler or a bishop. So far almost 170 specimens have been found in 23 countries across Europe. About 90% of the swords were found in northern and eastern Europe , which was still pagan at the time, from Iceland to the Ukraine . These were earlier areas of the Vikings and Slavs where Ulfberht swords were discovered as grave goods in warriors' graves . The swords are rarely found in their production area in the Franconian core area, which can be traced back to the Christian grave equipment without gifts. In contrast, such swords are often found in rivers in Central Europe.

Because of the blade inscription Ulfberht in Latin letters, it is assumed that it comes from the Franconian Empire. For a long time it was assumed that these swords were made in the Rhine Franconia , while in more recent times they are more likely to be produced at bishoprics or in monasteries in the central Franconian area. The chemist Robert Lehmann from the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry considers the Lorsch or Fulda monasteries as the workshop of the sword , where weapons production is historically documented. He had identified the nearby Hintertaunus as the ore deposit of the metal from which the sword is made.

presentation

CT image of the sword and pommel

After restoration, documentation and various examinations, the sword found in 2012 was first presented to the public on July 29, 2014. This took place at the University of Hanover in the presence of the President Erich Barke , the Lower Saxony Minister for Science and Culture Gabriele Heinen-Kljajić and the head of the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation Stefan Winghart . On this occasion, scientists explained the interdisciplinary research into the find. The restoration and conservation work on the sword was completed in mid-2015. From autumn 2015 it will be on display in the permanent exhibition of the Lower Saxony State Museum in Hanover. For a presentation near the place of discovery, such as in the Rinteln Museum or in the town hall of Hessisch Oldendorf , the production of deceptively real copies using stereolithography is being considered.

From September 21, 2018 to January 6, 2019, the sword was displayed in the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin in the exhibition Moving Times. Archeology shown in Germany , which took place on the occasion of the European Cultural Heritage Year 2018.

literature

  • Wilfried Schmücking – Goldmann: German sword for Vikings. Find from the Weser: Archaeologists present swords from the early Middle Ages. In: hello Sunday of August 3, 2014
  • Friedrich-Wilhelm Wulf , Robert Lehmann : The Ulfberht sword from the Weser. Archaeological and archaeometric investigations on a special find. in: Archeology in Lower Saxony 18/2015, pp. 128–131.
  • Friedrich-Wilhelm Wulf: The ULFBERHT sword from Großenwieden, Ldkr. Hameln-Pyrmont. Archaeological investigations In: News from Lower Saxony's Prehistory , Vol. 84, Stuttgart 2015, pp. 155ff. ( Online , pdf, 5.8 MB)
  • Michael Meier: Restoration and analysis of findings on the ULFBERHT sword In: News from Lower Saxony's Prehistory, Vol. 84, Stuttgart 2015, pp. 167ff. ( Online , pdf, 1.6 MB)
  • Andrea Tröller-Reimer: The evaluation of the CT data In: Nachrichten aus Niedersachsens Urgeschichte, vol. 84, Stuttgart 2015, p. 179ff. ( Online , PDF, 570 kB)
  • Robert Lehmann: Archaeometric analyzes on the ULFBERHT sword In: News from Lower Saxony's Prehistory, Vol. 84, Stuttgart 2015, pp. 185ff. ( Online , PDF, 427 kB)

Web links

Commons : Schwert von Großenwieden  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Press release Archeology and Chemistry together solve puzzles from the past of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture from July 29, 2014 and press release The oldest metal find from Lower Saxony's Stone Age and a legendary sword from the early Middle Ages ( Memento from August 4, 2014 on the Internet Archive ) of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University of Hanover from July 31, 2014, alternatively (pdf, 0.2 MB)
  2. ↑ a b c Kristian Teetz: High-tech weapon from the Middle Ages in: Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung from July 30, 2014
  3. ↑ Another "Ulfberht" sword discovered at N24 on July 30, 2014
  4. ↑ Ulfberht sword dredged from the Weser by the Association of State Archaeologists on September 11, 2014
  5. ↑ Secrets of a Sword. Work on the 1000 year old find finished / From autumn it will be exhibited in Hanover in: Deister and Weser newspaper from August 7, 2015