It's a strange package, even more so when you least expect it. At the end of June, the National Museum of Ireland received two Bronze Age axes. The anonymous donor told specialists in the museum's antiquities division that the objects were found with a metal detector in County Westmeath, west of Dublin. In their letter, this person makes it clear that they want to keep the axes in the museum. Nothing more.

a Communicated Published on its website on July 12, and acquired Smithsonian MagazineThe museum is calling on this mysterious donor to come forward to provide more information about the condition of the find.

We are delighted with the discovery of these two Early Bronze Age axes, but to truly understand their significance we need to know where they were found.

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-Matt Seaver, Irish Antiquities Attendant.

These objects can teach us a great deal about Irish history

“The axes were carefully packaged in polystyrene and cardboard, allowing them to reach us safely, The museum notes. Our experts identified these objects as ax heads from the early Bronze Age. An important archaeological find that allows us to better understand Ireland's distant past.” More precisely, given the technique of alloying copper and tin, experts believe that these objects date back to between 2150 and 2000 BC.

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But not knowing exactly where and under what conditions the axes were found prevents archaeologists from moving forward. “The context of such finds allows us to link ancient camps to cultural practices. For example, reserves or collections of objects are often intentionally placed in certain locations for reasons ranging from ritual to the supernatural.”Write museum representatives.

A call for testimonies to return to the source of the metal

The National Museum of Ireland is currently participating in an international study of Bronze Age metalwork. Specialists are particularly interested in knowing where our ancestors found the metals used to make tools. It is therefore essential to have all the information about the artifacts that make up your collection.

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If there is any useful information on these two axes, the museum is asking the public to email antiquitiesdo@museum.ie or call +353 (0)1-6777444.