A rare 4000-year-old copper dagger originating from Ukraine is found in Poland (photo)

Archaeologists in Poland have made an incredible discovery in the forests near Korzenica in the southeast of the country. A copper dagger over 4000 years old was found.

The dagger was discovered by Piotr Gorlach from the Grupa Jarosław Historical and Research Association during a search with a metal detector in the Jarosław Forest, naukawpolsce reports.

Also read: Archaeologists found a bronze hand painted in one of the oldest languages in the world (photos and video)

After realizing the importance of the discovery, Mr. Gorlach contacted the Subcarpathian Restorer of Monuments in Przemyśl and the Orsetti Museum and House. The dagger dates back more than 4000 years, which makes it extremely valuable, as copper artifacts were very rare in the Central European Plain at that time.

Preliminary research suggests that the dagger may originate from the Carpathian Basin or Ukrainian steppes and predate the development of bronze metallurgy in the region.

This transitional period is known as the Copper Age and is characterized by the gradual introduction of copper, although stone was still the main resource used.

Dr. Elżbieta Sieradzka-Burgardt from the museum in Jarosław noted: "This is a period of huge changes in the raw materials used for tool making. Instead of flint tools, which were commonly used in the Stone Age, more and more metal products appear, indicating a transition to the next period, the Bronze Age."

Daggers in that era were a common attribute of warriors, but the fact that this one was made of copper indicates the high social status of the owner.

This statement is also confirmed by its size - 10.5 cm in length, which is really a lot for that period compared to other metal objects of the same era.

Earlier, archaeologists found the oldest dry compass in Europe on the wreckage of a ship in Estonia .

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