In front of the Bronze Age hut at the Livelet Archaeopark you can see three replicas of weapons that had not only a practical use, but that were also status symbols: an ax, a halberd and a sword. The bronze ax belongs to a type which was successful for long during the Early Bronze Age. The halberd was also a very successful prestige weapon, especially in the Early Bronze Age, across Europe, flourishing from around 2200 BC to 1700 BC. The sword is a copy of one found in the remains of the pile dwelling here at the lake and belongs to a type mostly found in this region,Veneto, northeast Italy during the Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC). It is called a sword of the Sauerbrunn type, characteristic of this period. They had a flaring in the upper part of the blade, ornamented on both sides with three or four parallel lines incised symmetrically and ending over the hand guard in an oval or semicircular band filled in with striations or other geometric motifs. They had no tangs or flanged hilts, but were fastened to the wooden hilts by six to ten rivets. The length of the blade is usually between 45 and 65 cm. The largest number of Sauerbrunn swords is known from Austria, chiefly east of the Alps around Vienna. The Danube Plain between the eastern Alps and western Carpathians very probably was their production center. From there they spread south to northeastern Italy, where a considerable number was found.The swords, both of the Sauerbrunn and the similar Boiu type, are especially important in indicating that northern Italy was party of the development of the standard central European types, for these swords appear otherwise in Austria, Hungary and Romania. They witness the emergence of warrior aristocracies in the Middle Bronze Age Tumulus cultures, and have been found in male inhumation burials and as hoard offerings to the rivers in Veneto and elsewhere. Thanks for your kind comments.