Golden daggar update 'Sensational' golden dagger reveals the secrets of life in Thrace 5,000 years ago

A well-preserved 5,000-year-old golden dagger recovered from a tomb in Bulgaria has been described as a "sensational" find that sheds light on the long-lost civilisation of Thrace and shows the Thracians to be sophisticated metal-workers rather than illiterate, bloodthirsty savages.

The artefact, which archaeologists think dates to 3,000BC, is the latest in a series of finds in central Bulgaria that have led to the region being called the "Valley of the Thracian Kings".

"It's really a sensational discovery," said Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the Bulgarian National Museum of History. "The dagger, which we believe is made of gold and platinum, most probably belonged to a Thracian ruler or to a priest."