Pictured: Perfectly Intact 3,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Sword Recovered in Germany

A bronze sword more than 3,000 years old that was recently unearthed from an ancient burial site by archeologists in Germany is so well-presevered that it practically shines, state officials say.

The Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Munich announced the find on Wednesday.

"The sword and burial still have to be examined for our archeologists to further classify this find. But it can already be said now that the preservation is extraordinary!" Mathias Pfeil, the head of the office, said in a statement.

"A find like this very rare."

The weapon was found last week in a three-person grave containing a man, a woman, and a teenager in the town of Nördlingen, in southern Germany, according to officials.

Archeologists are still working to determine if the three people were related to one another, or connected in some way.

The Bronze Age, an era that saw the rise of metal tools and weapons, lasted from about 3,300 to 1,200 BC. The sword dates to the late 14th century BC, a period known as the Middle Bronze Age, officials said.

The design on the sword's octagonal hilt is still easily visible, with its wavy lines and chiseled features.

German officials said these kinds of pieces were difficult to make. Archeologists believe the sword was indeed used as a real weapon, not a replica.

According to the experts, swords like this one were often traded in Germany and Denmark.