Authorities in Indonesia are conducting analysis to verify the authenticity and possible meteoritic composition of a rare Bronze Age conical axe found in Kalimantan. Heritage conservation organizations planned further investigations and began a study that could confirm whether the axe was made with meteoritic metal, reported National Geographic Historia.
The axe, estimated at more than 3,000 years old, drew attention for its conical form and detailed workmanship. Experts said it may reflect metallurgical techniques that suggest a high level of craft.
The object emerged from Paau Village in the Riam Kanan Reservoir, a remote settlement reachable only by a two-hour boat ride. Over the years, ancient beads and stone tools linked to the Dayak people were found there. A local resident found the axe while panning for gold and kept it with stone tools and Dayak beads in a private collection. Among those items, the conical axe drew archaeologists’ attention for its unusual design and unclear origin.
“In all my years of study, I had never seen a conical axe like this,” said archeologist Ida Bagus Putu Prajna Yogi, according to HeritageDaily.
Experts said verifying authenticity and context was essential to rule out forgery, including how the object reached the villager and how it was stored. Enikos added that documenting when and how the item was found, and whether it was inherited or newly revealed, helped ensure historical accuracy.
Local residents referred to similar artifacts as Gigi Petir or Untu Gledek, meaning tooth of the lightning, associating them with places where lightning struck. In Javanese tradition, conical axes hold symbolic and social roles tied to local mythology. “It represents both artistic craftsmanship and social hierarchy, reflecting the culture of Bronze Age communities in Kalimantan,” said Hartatik of the Banjar Province Cultural Heritage Expert Team.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.