German archaeologists discovered a magnificent ancient scissors while examining a construction site in Munich. The scissors were extremely well preserved and still sharp.
Archaeologists of the Bavarian State Department for the Protection of Monuments (BLfD) were called in by a bomb squad searching a construction site in Sendling, a suburb of Munich, to find WWII munitions. This was standard practice of precaution, but during their search the exterminators came across a buried wooden structure that turned out to be a cremation tomb dated to the third or second century BC, a period when the Celts cremated their remains before burying their remains and possessions in pits.
The Celts were an early Indo-European people who spread over most of Western Europe. These people, made up of different tribes and groups, were spread over an area from the British Isles to northern Spain. They even reached as far east as modern Transylvania and the Black Sea. These different peoples remained, at most points, under the rule of the Roman Empire, and later evolved into what we call the Britons, Gauls, Boii, Galatians, and Celtiberians.
The Celts displayed an overt belief in the afterlife and had a variety of burial practices, but because they did not establish written records, much of what is known about their faith comes from second-hand accounts or the artifacts they left behind. That’s why the burial place in Munich is exciting and important.
The BLfD team found several objects, including a folded sword, the remains of a shield, the tip of a spear, a razor and a human fibula.
Researchers think the sword was heated before it was folded, making it useless for combat. Several explanations are offered as to why this is done. First, it might have been bent to prevent looters from disturbing the tomb, as a bent sword would be useless. Another option is that the destruction of the sword may have served symbolic purposes (the ritual “killing” of the sword) and bolstered the belief that the deceased owner would continue to wield the sword in the afterlife. Finally, it may point to a superstition against ghouls (the resurrected dead).
However, it can easily be said that the most important part of this discovery is the scissors accompanying these objects. These scissors are so well preserved that they are described as “almost new with a slight sheen.” As today, ancient scissors were tools that served many purposes, such as cutting hair or fabric or trimming animal wool.
Professor Mathias Pfeil, head of BLfD, sees the discovery as a “special discovery”. In a statement, he said the scissors not only display impressive craftsmanship, but their exceptional preservation “provides fascinating glimpses into our past.” According to Professor Pfeil, the scissors are about 2,300 years old and are still usable today.
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