English: Weapons from Grave V, Grave Circle A, Mycenae. 16th century B.C. The type A sword is considered to be a Minoan invention. Its appearance at Mycenae characterizes the first generation of kings there. Its use must have been customarily symbolic and ritual - a sign of authority for its noble owner. One of the most impressive swords of the Mycenaean world, it was nonetheless fragile because of the weak attachment of the handle onto the blade, and so it was quickly replaced by the more advanced Type B sword. Type B swords are shorter, stronger, and more durable than their predecessors, and are regarded as a typical Mycenaean creation. Both of these sword types were designed to pierce the body. Text: Museum inscription.