The alloy used suggests sophisticated metal-working skillsArchaeologists have discovered a precious golden dagger dated to about 3,000BC in a Thracian tomb in the centre of Bulgaria. Posted on 08/06/2006 7:50:48 PM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu
The alloy used suggests sophisticated metal-working skillsArchaeologists have discovered a precious golden dagger dated to about 3,000BC in a Thracian tomb in the centre of Bulgaria.
It is the latest find from one of many tombs believed to have formed the cradle of Thracian civilisation.
The dagger, made of an alloy of gold and platinum, was found near the village of Dubovo.
Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of Bulgaria's National Museum, told Reuters news agency the discovery was "sensational".
It is the latest in a string of finds in the area in recent years which has excited archaeologists and has provided more details of the skills of the still mysterious Thracian civilisation.
According to officials at the museum, the dagger is 16cm (6in) long and is sharp enough to shave with.
More than 500 other miniature gold items were found in the same tomb.
The detail on the dagger suggests that it was used for sacrificial purposes.
Bloodthirsty
The Thracian civilisation thrived on the edge of the ancient Greek and Roman empires in what is now Bulgaria, Romania, northern Greece and Turkey, and is believed to have lasted up to 4,000 years.
The historian Herodotus described the Thracian as savage, bloodthirsty warriors and provided a description of the elaborate funeral procedures for their rulers.
Other finds in recent years include a gold mask, an ancient Thracian temple, a crown and thousands of items of jewellery.
The alloy used in the latest find suggests a far greater degree of sophistication in metal-working that was previously known for that period.
"This significant find confirmed that people in this region were familiar with what was then high technology in metal processing," Mr Dimitrov told Reuters.
So was this a high enough culture to rival Sumer, Egypt, and the Indus River Civilization? Also, four thousand years for a culture of whom little is known? Small but intelligent?
You can find all sorts of things in Bulgaria!
btt for later read
Yogurt?
Yes. The ancient civilizations are estimated of coming about around then (soon after the Flood, incidently). That was why China and Greece weren't posted, as they came about later. A civilization so old and that went to 1000AD is odd.
Amazing that such an advanced civilization should have existed in Bulgaria 5000 years ago. There's so much that we don't know about ancient peoples who lived outside of Egypt or the Middle East.
Thanks for a most interesting post and link!
Or, that in all reality the Greeks, just like all the other Indo-European speaking peoples of their day, lived mostly in what is now Bulgaria!
That is to say, the Greeks and Bulgarians at that time were probably indistinguishible.
hey that's mine... i been lookin for that!!!
Which flood are you talking about?
The authenticity of the artifacts is currently in great doubt, particularly since the word 'Oldsmobile' appears several times in the text.
Alloys are one of the best indicators of the development of a civilization. They are a natural discovery, because of mixes in ores, and the fact that generally alloys melt at lower temperatures than single metals.
But the most important indicator is how much mining a people engage in. There is almost a perfect correlation between the amount of mining and economic success in history. And if you have to get your alloy ore from another nation, through trade, that opens up a whole new facet to development.
hhhmmmm
Beaugenhaus....for Damien.
Fascinating article. Thanks for posting that! :)
There are, of course, earlier floods which involved a large meltdown of Antarctica to it's present size and a larger meltdown of the North American ice cap.
It's entirely possible many of our most ancient "flood stories" were inspired by the observations of survivors of the earlier floods.
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