Blade
Unknown Artist
ca. late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
7.87 in. (19.99 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Implements
Culture & Period
Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex · Bronze Age
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Steven D. Robinson, 1981
Accession Number
1981.448.20
Art Historical Context
This exquisite copper alloy blade, dating to the late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE, hails from the Bactria-Margiana Complex (BMAC)—a enigmatic Bronze Age civilization flourishing in the ancient river oases of modern-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, northern Afghanistan. Measuring nearly 8 inches (19.99 cm), this implement exemplifies early metallurgical prowess, crafted from a durable copper alloy that marked the transition from the Copper Age to full Bronze Age technologies around 2300–1700 BCE. In the BMAC, urban centers like Gonur Tepe buzzed with sophisticated trade networks linking Mesopota...