Like a needle in a haystack. Just a few hundred meters from the Berliner Fernsehturm, in the heart of the German capital, archaeologists made a surprising discovery a few days ago. In the attic of a building in the Molkenmarkt district, an ancient Japanese sword was resting. The sword, in an advanced state of deterioration, is believed to be about four hundred years old, manufactured during the 17th century.
A Diplomatic Gift Brought Back from Japan in the 19th Century
On August 22, the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in Berlin published a statement relaying the scientists’ observations. Despite the artifact’s deterioration, researchers studying the sword managed to identify decorative copper elements adorning the hilt, which is composed of wood, bound with leather straps and fabric.
Several delicate engravings are spread across the hilt, notably chrysanthemums and waterways, often represented in the Edo culture, which extended from 1603 to 1868. For archaeologists, there is no doubt that the weapon would indeed have been crafted during this period.
A Historical Sword That Raises Questions
The sword, rather short, is a wakizashi. This type of weapon was mainly used by certain samurai in feudal Japan, considered a traditional sword, serving as a backup to a primary weapon. The blade could be even older according to academics, having been forged a hundred years earlier, during the 16th century.
The presence of such an object in an attic bombed during World War II raises questions. Archaeologists have determined that a diplomatic mission to Japan during the 19th century would have allowed the wakizashi to be brought back to Europe. LiveScience reports that two missions named Takenouchi and Iwakura occasioned meetings between German and Japanese officials in the 1860s. It seems that despite its insular status, Japan was already maintaining relations with allied countries nearly 200 years ago.
