In the central Serbian highlands, archaeologists have unearthed a series of pits lined with hammered copper sheets and filled with "ritually killed" (intentionally broken) iron tools. Dating to the early Iron Age, these pits are located at a site traditionally associated with the "Festival of the Iron-Gaze," a celebration of metalworking skills.
The presence of fine jewelry and animal bones suggests that these offerings were part of a larger festival that brought together disparate mining communities. The copper lining, unique to this site, likely symbolized the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, immortalized through ritual. This find sheds light on the spiritual dimensions of early metallurgy in the Balkans and how technological shifts were celebrated and sanctified through communal gatherings.