4,000-Year-Old Dagger Found Deep Inside Italian Cave, 'Flash of Copper' Stuns Archaeologists

Archaeologists have uncovered a surprising finding inside a cave in Italy. Researchers expected to find burials inside the Tina Jama Cave, but a 4,000-year-old copper dagger completely surprised them, Live Science reported. Daggers were usually kept in places of worship in ancient society, so finding one in a burial intrigued some experts. The team has yet to form any solid conclusions regarding the findings.

The excavation at Tina Jama Cave was done as a collaborative effort between Ca' Foscari University and some Italian and Slovenian institutions, Live Science reported. "The moment we discovered the dagger was unforgettable," Federico Bernardini, an archaeologist involved in the project shared. "We could hardly believe it — finding metal artifacts, especially a dagger, was completely unexpected in this context."

According to experts, the burials inside the cave were dated between the late Copper Age (2750 to 2200 B.C.) and early Bronze Age (2200 to 950 B.C.). Along with the burials the team spotted an ancient hearth.

The presence of the dagger, according to experts, indicates the skill and expertise practiced by people of that age. "The investigations are still ongoing, but they are allowing us to gather valuable data to reconstruct the area's prehistory," Bernardini added.

The copper dagger has made experts question the purpose and importance of the cave in ancient times, The Independent reported. "The discovery of a rare copper dagger, dating back to the second half of the third millennium BC, is an exceptional event that raises questions about the use of the cave, given that such precious artifacts are generally found in sepulchral contexts," the team explained.

The team proceeded with a lot of care in their excavation process, Live Science reported. The team sieved the soil inside the cave with a 1mm mesh to "collect as much information as possible," according to Bernadini.

Besides the dagger, abundant ceramic remains and stone artifacts dating from the second half of the third millennium BC were found. Experts believe that certain stone slabs could have been used to close the entrance to the cave between 2000 BC and 1500 BC. The ceramic tools and hearth indicate to researchers that the place was frequented by multiple groups to maintain "close contact" with the Dalmatian area near modern-day Croatia.

As they dug deeper, the different layers gave the team an idea of how time moved forward from the final stages of the Copper Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age. Elena Leghissa, an archaeologist with the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts who is leading the Slovenian team of the research believes that the project is important to understand the several transformations Europe experienced at various times between 9,000 and 4,000 years ago.