Prehistoric bronze hoard found off Greek beach (largest of its kind ever found in Greece)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/11/08 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

ATHENS, Greece – Authorities say a hoard of 4,500-year-old copper weapons recovered off a northern beach is the largest of its kind ever found in Greece.

A Culture Ministry statement says the discovery includes at least 110 ax and hammer heads, but several more should be extracted from compacted masses of corroded metal.

The ministry says they were probably buried at a time of unrest or war. The hoard would have represented a fortune at the time.

[NormsRevenge]

a bunch of news articles here from yahoo search, keywords 'copper weapons greece'

[stefanbatory]

The ministry says they were probably buried at a time of unrest or war. The hoard would have represented a fortune at the time.

I wonder if Obama has any Greek ancestors...hmmmm

[FrankR]

We finally found those weapons of mass destruction!

[weegee]

Bronze bodies on the beach? What’s unusual about that?

[shotgun]

This sounds like a crack heads dream...

[FatherofFive]

Don’t you just hate it when you bury your weapons cache and then forget where you put it?

[TexGuy]

I offer these statements to the scientists:

"This just goes to show that the populace was arming themselves for a massive conflict. They were not happy with Alexander the Great and these weapons were possibly to be used in an assault on the government. These Axe heads could have changed history and the entire direction cultures throughout the world. It is a significant find as the fate of history could have turned on this weapon cache. Significant funding is required for further analysis."

I hope that helps in some way ...

[knarf]

Yeah ... I see your point ... the check’s in the mail.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

But how did they know Alexander would show up 2000 years later?

[NormsRevenge]

bronze hoard found Ping

[Snickersnee]

No PVC pipe in the Bronze Age?

[TexGuy]

But how did they know Alexander would show up 2000 years later?

Details, details ...

[Abathar]

"The ministry says they were probably buried at a time of unrest or war. The hoard would have represented a fortune at the time."

Probably found while someone was burying their own valuables due to the unrest going on there now.

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

[Fractal Trader]

GGG ping

[Verginius Rufus]

Said to be 500 miles from Athens in northern Greece...a village named Mesi is mentioned. I'm not sure where that is--there is a village of that name on the island of Naxos but that's not really northern Greece and not far enough away from Athens.

Anyway, 4500 years ago is before anyone speaking anything resembling Greek was in Greece. It would be the so-called Early Helladic Period--the Greek-speakers are thought to have invaded Greece about the end of that period (somewhere in the vicinity of 2000 B.C.). Depending on where Mesi is, it could be an area which didn't have a Greek-speaking population until later (first millennium B.C.).

[InABunkerUnderSF]

The ministry says they were probably buried at a time of unrest or war...

Actually most cultures don't bury their weapons in times of unrest or war. It's possible that what they have is the remains of someone's peace ceremony - burying the hatchet.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

I think “mesi” is the root for “middle” or “center”. If that’s the case there might be several of them scattered around Greece. I seem to remember reading something in Herodotus where he’s bad mouthing Thracians and mentions Mesi.

[Flying Circus]

“Burying the Hatchet” was my first though as I read the article. I was taken surprised at the idea that someone would bury their weapons during war and then lose them.

[SunkenCiv]

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