Archaeologists have found a sword more than 3,000 years old in Germany, German officials said Wednesday.

The sword was found in the town of Nördlingen in southern Bavaria, Germany, and is estimated to date to the 14th century B.C. ing. Said and statement About archaeological finds.

“The octagonal handle is made entirely of bronze,” according to a press release. A man, a woman and a teenage boy were found in a grave where they were buried along with other bronze objects, the statement said. It is not clear if the person is a family member.

“Manufacturing octagonal swords is complicated by casting the hilt on top of the blade (so-called overlay casting). Decoration is done using inlays and hallmarks. There are two real rivets, but no more. A pair of rivets is only implied,” the statement read, Newsweek reported. (Related: Huge ancient burial ground found next to world’s most mysterious site)

Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Monuments Preservation Office have announced the discovery of a well-preserved Bronze Age sword in the town of Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany.
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Professor Matthias Pfeil, general conservator and director of the Bavarian Monument Protection Office, was thrilled with the find. “The sword and burial still need to be investigated so that archaeologists can classify the find more accurately,” Live Science said. report. “But what I can already say is that the condition is extraordinary! Findings like this are very rare!”

Nördlingen is in a crater that was formed when an asteroid hit Earth about 15 million years ago. The result, according to reports, was the formation of large amounts of microscopic diamonds in the rocks, which were used to build much of the town. smithsonian magazine. This crater explains the circular layout of the town, according to the. NASA.