Norway

A prehistoric artefact has left scientists stunned after it was discovered off the coast of southern Norway. Experts at the Norwegian Maritime Museum (NMM) say that the artefact, a type of Bronze Age axe, likely dates to around 1300-1100 BC. Jørgen Johannessen, a marine archaeologist at the NMM, told Newsweek that the axe was found on the seabed in the strait of Tromøysund at approximately 40 feet.  

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A routine investigation done on behalf of the Norwegian Coastal Administration threw up the axe, and Johannessen says he was "completely stunned by the discovery".

The surprising thing is that this is the first time a metal artefact from prehistoric times has been found in Norwegian waters. Experts say it is a mystery as to how the socketed axe went down in the strait. One of the possibilities, they say, is that it came from a shipwreck belonging to the Bronze Age that dated to more than 3,000 years ago.

Frode Kalvø, an archaeologist at the NMM and project leader, says that if it was indeed a shipwreck that dumped the axe in the water, then this would be the first of its kind in the region from the Bronze Age. "If that's the case, it would be the first Bronze Age shipwreck discovered in Norway," Kalvø told ScienceNorway.no.

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But why only one artefact if it does belong to a shipwreck? According to a press release from the museum, in this case, there must be many more such artefacts around and further research is needed to explore the area. 

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The second theory

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Another theory that experts say is more likely to have happened is that the axe was used as ballast on a sailing ship only a few hundred years ago and was discarded after use. 

"This might have happened in the 19th century. It could have been thrown overboard to make room for new cargo," Johannessen told ScienceNorway.no.

Kalvø said that the axe was likely picked up while someone gathered ballast for the ship. Till then, it probably "lay in a grave since the Bronze Age or was lost on the beach," he said.