Archaeologists in Central Europe recently came across an unusual hoard of Bronze Age tools — including a sword that had been deliberately smashed with a powerful blow.
The discovery was announced by Archaeological Center Olomouc (ACO), a research institution in the Czech Republic, on August 12. The hoard was found in a heavily flooded area at the end of May.
The cache, discovered near Kojetín in central Moravia during archaeological work connected to a railway project, contained an assortment of worn and broken bronze objects.
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The artifacts included eight deformed sickles, one intact sickle, part of a sword blade, ornament fragments, three ingots and two unfinished objects.
"Use-wear analysis has shown that most of the bronze objects had been used before their deposition and that some were deliberately damaged," ACO officials said in a statement.
Pictures show the mud-covered Bronze Age artifacts shortly after their discovery.
The sword bore particularly dramatic signs of damage, with archaeologists concluding that it had been struck apart with a single powerful blow.
"[It was] probably delivered with a chisel or an axe, while several of the sickles were intentionally deformed," the ACO release read.
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Lead archaeologist Vít Záhorák told officials the team's decision to use metal detecting was crucial to finding the objects.
"We knew our work was continuing in an area occupied by an extensive prehistoric settlement, so we also used metal-detecting survey during the archaeological monitoring," said Záhorák.
"It was this method that led to the discovery of the bronze hoard," he added.
While it may seem plausible that the tools were concealed as a temporary hiding place, officials say the evidence points to a more ceremonial purpose.
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"The current interpretation instead suggests that the objects were deliberately deposited in a former wetland and that their deposition may have formed part of a ritual practice," the statement said.
Officials noted that the Kojetín discovery has parallels with other Bronze Age sites.
"Deposits of bronze objects in watery or waterlogged settings are also known from other Bronze Age sites," the statement read.
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"In some of these cases, archaeologists have considered a possible connection with ritual practices. Further specialist analyses will help determine whether the Kojetín hoard had a comparable significance."
The artifacts are currently undergoing conservation and analysis by specialists.
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The Bronze Age hoard is far from the only archaeological discovery to emerge in the Czech Republic in recent years.
Last year, officials announced the discovery of multiple military graves during highway construction, including one dating back to the 1745 Battle of Žďár during the Second Silesian War.
This spring, ACO officials reported finding over 1,000 ancient artifacts spanning during excavations along a future high-speed railway route.