Early Bronze Age hoard of metal tools found in Northern Greece

Source: Markoulakis Publications

In November 2008, a team of the Ephorate of Underwater and Coastal Antiquities, consisted by the archaeologist George Koutsoyflaki and the divers Athanasios Kouvela and Elias Kouvela, conducted preliminary research in an underwater marine area of Glyfada – Meses, N. Rodopi, for the documentation and allocation of an archaeological area as indicated to the Hellenic Archaeological Service by the resident Athanasios Lykos from Kosmos, Komotini.

The submerged area of interest, had been identified during the resident’s free diving who uncovered and collected two samples of small copper tools which has been delivered to the Museum of Komotini.

In the indicated position, at a depth of 3.5 meters and at a distance of 450 meters from the shore, has been discovered a high concentration of copper tools exposed to the underwater conditions. The bulk of the collection consisted of aggregated slag and tools of oxide copper at an area of not more than ten square meters. Additionally, at a short distance from the main material concentration, the team also collected bronze tools which have been moved away from it due to intervention of secondary effects.

The first typological analysis of the tools showed that all of these tools dated back at the mid-third millennium BCE. The artifacts have been counted of a total 110 bronze tools and there is an unknown number still trapped within the underwater aggregation. This is the greatest treasure of tools of Early Bronze Age that has so far discovered in Greece and neighboring Balkan countries and it is expected that a thorough study will light the history of metallurgy of that period.

Although research in area has not been completed, initial estimates show that the treasure was not related to a wreck, or a village that has been submerged. The small dispersion of tools in place, the way their packaged, the presence of a basket bases and of pots as well as the Stratigraphic measurement that has been made during the survey, showed that the findings probably have been hidden as a treasure gear in a position which during the Early Age Bronze was a rocky coastal area of land.

Also the official press release (in Greek) from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.