There's a youtuber called shadiversity that does videos on swords, castles and such. He just posted a video about the oldest steel sword he could find out about. (600 bc) I'm fairly certain it may interest some of you.
Interesting~ but doesn't hold my interest for long~ Wasn't there a thread a while back about a girl who found the oldest sword?
During the period in question, bronze was still the preeminent material for weapons. The best preserved sword from this time would be the Sword of Goujian, first made in about 500 BCE. It was discovered in 1965; after 2500 years of burial and it was still sharp! It's probably the second most valuable sword in the world (the first being Kusanagi no Tsurugi).
Already debunked. It was likely a prop that was left there, the site was used to film a medieval movie during the 80s. Heck, they even found an exact replica of the sword. Spoiler: "Excalibur" Battle Sword Jaime as seen in the Spanish-swords.com, manufactured in Toledo and is made of Stainless Steel. You can buy it for $70.
It's impossible to put a price on these things, I'd almost put this, or an ulfberht above those because there is more to be found out about them.
I still can't get over the fact that it was once called Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds but then was changed to Grass Cutting Sword. I mean, from the sky right to the ground. That's one hell of a downgrade lmao.
Added to my collection random facts that I will remember randomly in a few years. Thanks for finding the vid.
You can attribute value on things without putting a price on them. I can conceivably see the sword of Cao Cao overtaking the Sword of Goujian but I'm at a loss at any other weapon that can compare. The fame of its owner, the age of the sword, and its incredible state of preservation would make it very hard to match. Nothing will ever top Kusanagi no Tsurugi because that sword is so valuable that you can't even see it.
Never heard of it before, so I looked on wikipedia and saw this: "The sword was found sheathed in a wooden scabbard finished in black lacquer. The scabbard had an almost air-tight fit with the sword body. Unsheathing the sword revealed an untarnished blade, despite the tomb being soaked in underground water for over 2,000 years." Damn, that is so awesome
Iron and steel can be preserved for millenias using strong acid. It passivates the iron and protects it from rusting. As long as the external layer is not scratched, it can remain unchanged for a very long time and even keep its sharpness.