Archaeologists excavating a woman’s grave at the dig site known as Tel Tsaf in the central Jordan Valley of Israel found a 6,000-year old copper awl, the oldest known metal object in the Middle East.

The copper awl dates to the Middle Chalcolithic period, ca. 5,100-4,600 BC, which is centuries prior to when scientists first believed metal tools were in use in the Middle East. Further analysis of the copper revealed that the ore could be traced to the Caucasus region, suggesting there were elaborate trade routes throughout the ancient world much earlier than previously thought.

The 40-year old woman was buried in the bottom floor of a grain silo, holding the awl and adorned with a necklace made of ostrich-egg-shell beads. The silo was within a greater courtyard with other grave sites, suggesting this was a site for either a family or select members of the community who dealt in the agricultural industry as well as long distance trade.

‘Grave goods,’ such as the copper awl, were used in prestigious burial ceremonies throughout the ancient Middle East, indicating the woman was most likely a matriarch or person of high prestige within the community.

The known usage of metallurgy in human history plays a significant role in the understanding of anthropology. Metals were first mined and manipulated in the northern regions, and products were diffused through trade routes.

Along with the novel tools, the knowledge of how to mine and smelt ores spread south along the trades routes. With the discovery of the copper awl, scientists can conclusively be sure metal products were entering the Middle East via trade routes centuries earlier than previously thought.