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CONNECTION, NOT IBERIAN PIECE · CONNECTION · TALAYOTIC MALLORCA

Talayotic sword

A sword that did not want to cut

Its metal had the form of a sword, but its edges were not prepared for combat.

Museum documentation · free public access, no account required.

DECLARED VISUAL RECONSTRUCTION · AI-GENERATED IMAGE · TRACEKEEPERS

Generated reconstruction · Declared visual hypothesis

Declared visual reconstruction, created for museographic contextualisation; not a photograph of the original nor does it constitute documentary evidence.

Image of Talayotic sword
DECLARED VISUAL RECONSTRUCTION · AI-GENERATED IMAGE · TRACEKEEPERS

Generated reconstruction · Declared visual hypothesis

Declared visual reconstruction, created for museographic contextualisation; not a photograph of the original nor does it constitute documentary evidence.

History and context

The solid-hilt sword appeared in the main tower of the talayot of Serral de ses Abelles. The copper is related to Linares, a distance that makes the object a witness to maritime networks and controlled access to raw materials.

It was not hardened nor sharpened as a functional weapon. It could have acted as a prestige emblem for a family group. The building burned towards 790 BCE; the fire that destroyed its context also sealed an exceptional scene.

Evidence and interpretation

Documented fact: manufacture, composition, context and lack of functional preparation support an emblematic use. Interpretation and caution: the owner, the ceremony and the exact meaning are not preserved; moreover, it is a Talayotic connection and not an Iberian piece.

Catalogue facts

Narrative date
≈1200–1000 BCE · destruction of the talayot towards 790 BCE
Location
Serral de ses Abelles, Puigpunyent (Mallorca)
Material
Bronze · copper of peninsular origin
Context
Talayotic culture · Mediterranean comparison, not an Iberian piece
Classification
Comparative connection · must not be presented as an Iberian piece
Visual reference
CER.ES · Mallorca Museum DA20/05/001
In this grouping
Prestige sword without functional preparation for cutting: weapon form, combat not demonstrated.

A SHARED TOPIC, DIFFERENT MOMENTS

Objects connected through time

Follow a topic across the collections. A shared tag is a way to compare objects, not proof that one culture influenced another.

The order uses the midpoint of each approximate date range; ranges can overlap. Spacing does not represent elapsed time. Swipe, scroll or use the arrows. With the sequence focused, use ← / →, Home or End.

Bronze23 dated objects

5 / 23In the centre: Talayotic sword

Also connected, without a comparable date (6)

These objects are not placed after the others: an unknown date does not mean a more recent object.

A closer look

About 1 min to read · 1 section. Further reading and sources · free access. Editorial review recorded: .

Two alloys and three hidden rivets

The radiographs showed that blade and hilt were not a single casting: three rivets arranged in a triangle joined them. The filing and patina had made that union almost imperceptible from the outside. The analyses also separated the bronze recipes: the blade contained approximately 13.5% tin, while hilt and pommel ranged between 7.3–9%. Moreover, corrosion had concentrated much lead on the surface. Comparing clean samples and patina was decisive to avoid confusing the metal transformed by burial with the alloy used by the founder.

Where it is held

Mallorca Museum

Item or group in the record · Documented collection

CER.ES · inventory DA20/05/001; the exhibition announced in 2020 was temporary.

The holding institution is documented; public display may change. Check its official record before visiting.

Sources and references

Expand this information and consult its provenance

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