3,000-year-old funnel axe found on Borneo

"A rare Bronze Age funnel-shaped axe that legends suggest may be made of meteorite iron has been found in Paau Village on the island of Borneo. It is approximately 3,000 years old and is the first Bronze Age axe head of its kind found in Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo). Paau Village is in the middle of the Riam Kanan Reservoir and is very remote, accessible only by a two-hour boat journey."

"The axe head is one of numerous ancient artifacts discovered by Rahmadi, one the 600 inhabitants of the village, while panning for gold. It is the object that most impressed archaeologists when they saw it in Rahmadi's generally impressive collection, because funnel axes are so rare and this is the only one known from Kalimantan. It is evidence that the area was developing metalworking technology at the same time as other populations elsewhere in the archipelago, and using it for artistic and symbolic purposes."

"He explained that the funnel axe, also known as Gigi Petir or Untu Gledek by the Javanese, has its own mythological origins. It is said that the object appeared after lightning struck and became embedded in the ground or a tree. However, scientifically, researchers suspect it was made using metal technology from melted meteorite rock. These types of axes were not utilitarian tools like their stone predecessors. They were very small and light, designed for their form over function."

Researchers found a rare funnel-shaped Bronze Age axe head in remote Paau Village, Borneo, dating to about 3,000 years ago and representing the first such find in Kalimantan. The axe came from a collection discovered by a villager while panning for gold and impressed archaeologists because funnel axes are extremely rare and non-utilitarian. Local myth links the object to lightning, while scientists suspect production from melted meteorite metal. The axes were small, lightweight, and likely served symbolic, status, or trade functions rather than practical use. Authorities plan authentication, context study, and collaboration to clarify early metalworking in the region.

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