Archaeologists have discovered a hoard of bronze tools that were deliberately damaged and deposited in a wetland 3,000 years ago near what is now Kojetín, eastern Czech Republic. This was likely a ritual offering of the Urn Fields culture.
Archaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Center made the discovery while overseeing railway construction. A large prehistoric settlement was known to have been in the area, so the team surveyed the site with a metal detector which is how the bronze hoard was found.
While the find site is dry land now, it is still prone to flooding, a vestige of its Bronze Age existence as a wetland. In fact, it had flooded just before the hoard was discovered in late May. Metal objects deposited in waterlogged environments are well-known from Bronze Age sites all over Europe and the UK. There was a ritual association between valuable bronze artifacts and raw materials and water.
The contents of the hoard are primarily tools — eight damaged sickles, one complete sickle — plus a fragment of a sword blade, fragments from decorative objects and pieces from other bronze artifacts that can’t be identified. There are aso three ingots and two unfinished objects.
Traceological analysis of the surface of the objects revealed that the tools had been extensively used before they were deposited. Some of the damage was clearly intentional, not just wear and tear. For example, the sword fragment was cut by a single strong blow, likely with a chisel or axe. Some of the damaged sickles were also deliberately deformed. These intentional acts did not take place during normal usage.
The bronze hoard is now undergoing conservation and professional documentation. The results of the analyses will help to clarify more precisely the circumstances of its deposition and the significance of the find for understanding the life of the Bronze Age inhabitants of Central Moravia.
* This article was originally published here
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