Archaeologists in Bulgaria have unearthed a huge supply of Copper Age axes and ax hammers which were found to date back 6,500 years, and these ancient tools have just made history as this is the first time that such an immense number of Bronze Age tools like these have been found together in Europe.

As Archaeology in Bulgaria reports, the Bronze Age axes and axe hammers were discovered in the Silistra District of northeast Bulgaria, very close to the town of Polkovnik Taslakovo, with the find of this massive hoard reported by archaeologist Dimitar Chernakov.

The prehistoric tools that were discovered total 22 in number and contain 18 flat axes along with four well-preserved axe hammers, with the total volume of these tools found to be over 25 pounds.

In a study that was recently completed on these Bronze Age, or Chalcolithic, tools, Chernakov explained that these can be traced back to “the second/third phase of the cultural complex Kodjadermen – Gumelnița – Karanovo VI” as the axes were discovered “in the periphery of intense long-lasting populating and cultural processes in the area of Kodjadermen – Gumelnița – Karanovo VI.”

Chernakov also stated that the Bronze Age tools found in Bulgaria are very likely to have been produced in one of the many processing centers for metal that existed at the time of the Chalcolithic civilization in areas that are now known as Sozopol, Durankulak, and Varna. Once the tools had been manufactured, they would have been sent to different regions in the Balkan Peninsula.

“The axes were then prepared and sent for distribution into the internal part of the Balkan Peninsula.”

Europe’s Largest Hoard of Copper Age Axes, Ax Hammers Discovered in Northeast Bulgaria https://t.co/1hSyGWF8Lu pic.twitter.com/WKIkQd5PJH — Archaeology Bulgaria (@ArchaeologyinBG) January 9, 2019

After dating these tools, it is believed that the Bulgarian Copper Age axes and ax hammers were forged between the years 4,500 and 4,200 BC, and the Ruse Regional Museum of History has noted that there is very little evidence of wear and tear on these instruments, which has led them to the conclusion that the tools may not have been used much and may have been items that a very well-to-do family or person kept to show their prestige and standing in society at the time.

“The discovered find is the largest of its kind in Europe so far. It is a testimony to the development and sophistication of the earliest metallurgy in human history. The axes bear hardly any traces that they were used which leads to the supposition that they were not meant for practical purposes but were an indicator of prestige, or were were used as means of exchange.”

The huge hoard of Copper Age axes and axe hammers that were found in Bulgaria are reportedly now on display at the Regional Museum of History in Silistra.