In the highlands of Georgia, archaeologists have discovered a collection of ritual scepters bonded with arsenopyrite, a silvery-white iron arsenic sulfide. Dating to 2000 BC, these scepters are the centerpiece of the "Festival of the First-Smelted Flame," a rite that celebrated the seasonal reopening of copper mines. The mineral bonding gave the scepters a brilliant, metallic sheen that resembled molten metal, symbolizing the power of the smelter's fire.
The scepters were found within a ritual forge complex, suggesting that the act of metalworking was itself a religious festival. This discovery provides a unique perspective on the intersection of early industrial technology and spiritual belief in the Early Bronze Age. The scepters were intentionally buried under a layer of fresh clay at the end of the festival, a symbolic act of returning the metal to the earth until the following year.