http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Goujian This sword is incredible. It was soaked in water for 2000 years, did not tarnish, and still has an edge... I want it :evil:
I don't buy it. If you note... there is a citation needed for that bit of the article on Wikipedia. While I generally don't mind Wikipedia as a reference it's not infallible. Curious how they would know the tomb was under water for 2,000 years. The other issue I find common with Chinese artifacts is that a very large percentage of the ones in state museums are fakes or reproductions. It's a cottage industry in China... up and down Hollywood Road in Hong Kong you can find any number of swords of the same era and make as this sword. The quality inlay work the forging.. all of it... however they are all 20th century replications. There are a gazillion different ways to get around age testing methods - the Chinese aren't short of creativity when it comes to forgery. That being said though... there are some stunning examples of actual artifacts that have survived. This could be one of them. /cynic mode
