 From the 16th century BC , swords with rounded tips appeared , having a grip which was an extension of the blade . They were 130 cm ( 4 ft ) long and 3 cm ( 1 in ) broad . Another type , the single @-@ edged sword was a solid piece of bronze c . 66 cm ( 2 @.@ 17 ft ) – 74 cm ( 2 @.@ 43 ft ) long . This shorter sword was most probably used for close @-@ quarters combat . In the 14th century BC , both types were progressively modified with stronger grips and shorter blades . Finally in the 13th century BC , a new type of sword , the <unk> II , became popular in Mycenaean Greece . 
