Ancient sword at Field Museum thought to be a replica turns out to be the real deal

Ancient sword at Field Museum thought to be a replica turns out to be the real deal

CHICAGO (CBS) – An ancient sword that sat inside the Field Museum for nearly 100 years that was believed to be a replica is actually a 3,000-year-old artifact.

Curators said a European expert noticed the sword and asked to see it while preparing for an exhibit called "The First Kings of Europe."

"I pulled it out and he said after half a minute, this isn't a replica," said Bill Parkinson, curator of anthropology at the Field Museum. "It's a real sword thrown into the Danube River at the end of the Bronze Age."

X-ray testing later confirmed the sword's authenticity. You can see the sword for yourself at "The First Kings of Europe" exhibit which opens on March 31.

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