5.000-Year-Old: Most Sophisticated Prehistoric Crystal Weapon Ever Found
Archaeologists have discovered numerous tools left behind by prehistoric civilizations. Most of these finds are made of stone, but in Spain, researchers have also found incredible weapons made of rock crystal. Dating back to at least 3000 BC, these weapons include an incredible crystal dagger that required great skill to carve out. These weapons were discovered in the megalithic Montelirio tholos tomb, located in southwestern Spain.
The Megalith that Hid an Elite Crystal Arsenal
This enormous tomb at Valencina de la Concepción is made from large slabs and stretches well over 143 feet (43.5 meters). It was excavated between 2007 and 2010, and five years after the excavation began, researchers from the University of Granada, the University of Seville, and the Spanish Higher Research Council published their study of these crystal tools. In addition to the dagger found at the excavation site, they found 10 arrowheads and cores used to make weapons. According to the study, rock crystal is also commonly found in late prehistoric Iberian sites, but is rarely studied in depth. To understand the specific purpose these special weapons may once have had, we must look critically at the context in which they were found.
Rock crystal arrowheads from the Montelirio Tholos, Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain), c. 3000–2500 BC. (Miguel Ángel Blanco de la Rubia y Morgado/Quaternary International 424
The Tomb That Held Europe’s Finest Crystal Weapons
The remains of at least 25 individuals were found within the site of Montelirio tholos. Previous analysis has suggested that several of the females appear to have died from high levels of mercury, likely through ingesting cinnabar. The human remains of the women were also seated in a set, circular fashion, in a chamber right next to the bones of what may have been the chief of their people. The tombs also contained several grave goods, including “shrouds or clothes made of tens of thousands of perforated blades and decorated with amber beads,” as well as ivory objects and even fragments of gold blades.
The crystal arrowheads were found together in a cluster, which has led the researchers to believe that these select finds may have been a ritual offering. The arrowheads have the characteristic barbs of flint arrowheads from the area. Still, investigators have remarked that even greater skill must have been required to produce these unique features when using rock crystal as a source mineral. Together, these arrowheads form part of “the most technically sophisticated and aesthetically impressive collection of rock crystal material culture ever found in Prehistoric Iberia“.
Major megalithic monuments at Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain): (A) threshold between corridor and chamber at La Pastora (photo: Miguel Ángel Blanco de la Rubia); (B) La Pastora corridor (photo: Aline Lara Galicia); (C) stone basin inside the Matarrubilla chamber (photo: Lucy Shaw Evangelista); (D) cinnabar-coated slate slabs in the Montelirio corridor. (Antonio Acedo García and García Sanjuán/Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 78, CC BY 4.0)
The Crystal Blade Reserved for Prehistoric Elites
The dagger, in contrast, was found in an entirely separate chamber, “in association with an ivory hilt and sheath.” Measuring about 8.5 inches long, it’s similar in shape to other daggers of the same time period. But a crucial difference is that the daggers found to date from the late prehistoric era were made of flint, while this select dagger is made of rock crystal. Since no crystal mines were found near the site, the materials for these items would have been sourced from far afield. This supports the idea that they were intended for an elite few who could also afford to gather the materials and have them carved into the weapons found. It is also interesting that none of the weapons were made for a single individual – they appear to have been used for collective purposes.
Conclusion
“They probably represent funerary paraphernalia only accessible to the elite of this time period,” write the researchers. “On the other hand, rock crystal must have had a symbolic significance as a raw material invested with special meanings and connotations. The literature also provides examples of societies in which the minerals consisting of rock crystal and quartz as raw materials symbolize vitality, magical powers, and a connection with ancestors.” Though there is uncertainty about their exact purpose, the discovery and study of these weapons continue to provide a fascinating examination of the prehistoric cultures that once roamed the Earth over 5,000 years ago.
Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net
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