Bulgarian Archaeologists Stumble Upon 'Oldest Children's Toy in Europe': Late Bronze Age Thracian...

Archaeology in Bulgaria ^ | May 5, 2015 | Ivan Dikov

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An Ancient Thracian bronze artifact in the shape of a stork's head described as "the oldest children's toy in Europe" has been identified by Bulgarian archaeologists among archaeological items found by local residents in the area of the southern town of Zlatograd in the Rhodope Mountains.

The Thracian toy is made of bronze mixed with some silver, and is dated to the Late Bronze age, about 1500-1200 BC, the period of Ancient Troy and the Civilization of Mycenae.

It consists of a tripod holding what appears to be a stork's head which can move and "drink water"; it weighs 30 grams. The stork's eyes are made of carnelian -- a semi-precious gemstone found in the Rhodope Mountains in Southern Bulgaria, reports the Bulgarian National Television.

The 3,500-year-old bronze children's toy has been discovered by locals near the town of Yagnevo, Kirkovo Municipality, and together with other archaeological artifacts has bought out by local businessman Alexander Mitushev, a collector who owns a private ethnographic complex in the town of Zlatograd...

Bulgarian scholars, including Assoc. Prof. Krasimir Leshtakov who teaches prehistory and archaeology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", believe that the artifact is the only children's toy found the Late Bronze age found so far, and the oldest known children's toy in Europe...

To illustrate his point, Ovcharov adds that this was the time described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey when the Thracians, their wine, and the magical Rhodope Mountains were cherished; the Thracians' Rhodope Mountains were also mentioned by Herodotus who described them as the "Holy Mountain" together with the central sanctuary of god Dionysus discovered by Ovcharov in the rock sanctuary in Perperikon.

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Amazing.