A Hittite iron sword with bronze handle, 14th - 13th century B.C.Narrow, tapered iron blade with a longitudinally profiled central rib that swings out slightly immediately in front of the handle. The blade with a tang at the top with a bronze handle that has three ribs in the middle: a bulging one in the middle and two ridged ones above and below. The latter finely notched on the ridge. Flat, but solid pommel, viewed from above a "flattened" hexagon with rounded corners. The long edges of the knob are each provided with a club in the middle above the handle. Below the handle, the handle plate has frames that extend laterally downwards, which enclose the blade on the side, the upper end of which is thus enclosed in an arch. Length 56 cm. Width of the blade in the upper area approx. 3.3 cm. Width of the knob when viewed from above 5.5 cm. The iron blade is covered with a layer of corrosion and is in excellent condition apart from minimal chips on the edge. The bronze handle with minimal corrosion scars and oxide coatings.A very close parallel to the piece presented here can be found in the Ruhr Museum Essen. Extremely rare and early iron sword that represented a technological innovation at the time of its manufacture.A metallurgical measurement of the iron revealed the following admixtures in the iron alloy: 1.2% manganese, 1% cobalt (typical of Anatolian deposits), 4.5% copper (the high proportion probably comes from contamination of the patina by oxides from the bronze handle), 0.1% tin, and four other elements. The bronze alloy of the handle is undoubtedly ancient and typical of very old deposits that were already exploited in Roman times. The measurement revealed, among other things, the following results: 76% Cu, 17% tin, 1.3% lead, 0.8% Ag, 0.36% gold.Provenance: South German private collection, acquired in the South German art trade in the 80s.Condition: I - II