2,300-year-old scissors and 'folded' sword discovered in a Celtic cremation tomb in Germany

By Jennifer Nalewicki published about 19 hours ago

Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a folded sword, scissors and other artifacts at a Celtic cremation tomb.



Scissors, a sword and a razor coated in rust.
A pair of scissors, a razor and a folded sword were some of the grave goods found at a Celtic cremation tomb in Germany. (Image credit: Maximilian Bauer, Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments)

Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a stash of grave goods — including a folded sword that may have been used in battle and an "exceptionally good" pair of scissors — inside a 2,300-year-old Celtic cremation tomb.

Based on the variety of the artifacts, which also include a portion of a shield, a razor, a fibula (clasp), a belt chain and a spearhead, researchers think that a man and a woman were buried there. Between the third century B.C. and second century B.C. the Celts — who lived in mainland Europe — burned their dead and buried their remains in pits alongside their belongings, according to a translated statement(opens in new tab).

An excavation team searching for explosive devices leftover from World War II discovered the items by chance, according to the statement.

The burial is a remarkable find, however, one grave good caught the attention of researchers: the pair of left-handed scissors.

"The scissors in particular are in exceptionally good condition," Martina Pauli(opens in new tab), an archaeologist with the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Munich, told Live Science in an email. "One would almost be tempted to cut with it. The scissors were used — as they are today — for cutting, but could also be used in the craft sector, for example in leather processing or sheep shearing."

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https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2300-year-old-scissors-and-folded-sword-discovered-in-a-celtic-cremation-tomb-in-germany