Archaeologists uncover rare 4,000-year-old copper dagger in Italy cave & hail ‘exceptional find’ that ‘raises questions’

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a 4,000-year-old dagger in Italy and said it might give great inside into Copper Age Europe.

The rare leaf-shaped copper dagger measures just under 10cm and was found in the Tina Jama Cave, near the northern town of Trieste.

The excavations also unearthed stone artefacts and ceramic remnants from the second half of the third millennium BC.

Now, archaeologists from Ca' Foscari University in Venice, who are examining the artefacts alongside colleagues from Slovenia, think they are important for comprehending the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe at that time.

Elena Leghissa, of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences, said: “The discovery of a rare copper dagger is an exceptional event that raises questions about the use of the cave, given that such precious artefacts are generally found in sepulchral contexts.”

Frederico Bernardini, the excavation director, added: “[The purpose is to] clarify different aspects of the recent prehistory of the northeastern Adriatic regions, adopting a modern and rigorous approach.”

Researchers also discovered a construction composed of blocks and slabs of stone dated between 2000 BC and 1500 BC, that was probably intended to seal off the cave's entrance.

Although the purpose of the structure is unknown, scientists believe it was related to burial customs because of pieces of human skulls that have been partially associated to it.

The cave's hearth and ceramic artefacts suggest that groups with "close contacts" to the Dalmatian region near present-day Croatia visited there during this time.

The researchers also discovered flint arrowheads, long blades fashioned from the same material using pressure techniques, polished stone axes, obsidian, and shell ornaments.

“This evidence suggests that the cave has been visited for thousands of years and is promising for future excavation efforts,” they concluded.

It comes after a 4,000-year-old settlement was discovered tucked away in a Saudi Arabian oasis.

The Bronze Age town, which is believed to have housed roughly 500 residents, sheds light on ancient societies transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a more urban one.

French archaeologist Guillaume Charloux, in collaboration with Saudi researchers, unearthed the al-Natah settlement near the Khaybar Oasis.

Researchers believe al-Natah, spanning roughly 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres), was built around 2400 BCE and remained inhabited until roughly 1300 BCE.

“Our findings suggest that the people of al-Natah engaged in a slower, region-specific process of urbanisation,” Charloux told AFP.

He noted the town's structure and stone barriers suggest that inhabitants were socially organised - more so than nomadic communities which traditionally dominated the area.

The settlement was carefully planned, with a central administrative zone, a residential district with interconnected streets, walled gardens and a necropolis.

The necropolis contained circular stepped tower tombs and dozens of artefacts.

Daggers and axes were found, as well as pieces of pottery and precious stone rings made of agate, which were likely part of jewellery.

Meanwhile, archaeologists uncovered an ancient church in the first ever Christian country - built a mere 350 years after Jesus walked the Earth.

Experts discovered the fourth-century church in Armenia - and is considered the country's oldest ever found.

The ancient church is bizarrely octagonal, measuring nearly a whopping 100ft in diameter - crafted from a mortar floor laid with terracotta tiles.

On the incredible site, archaeologists found significant amounts of marble that's believed to have been imported from the Mediterranean.

The import of the ultra-valuable material suggests the church was once extravagantly decorated for visitors and held incredible significance.

Armenia is believed to be the first Christian state in the world after King Tiridates III converted to Christianity.