Shipment of 4,000-year-old Bronze Age era swords, arrowheads seized at Port of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — U.S. Customs and Border Control officers made a historic discovery when they seized a shipment containing dozens of Bronze Age swords and arrowheads at the Port of Philadelphia.

Officials say the shipment initially arrived at the port from the United Arab Emirates back on October 16, heading to an address in Jacksonville, Florida.

Officers opened the shipment after an X-ray detected sword-like objects.

The shipment was detained while experts from the National Targeting Center’s Antiquities Unit and an archeologist from a Philadelphia university further investigated the items.

On February 13, the archeologist authenticated the 36 copper-alloy short swords and 50 copper-alloy arrowheads as dating back nearly 4,000 years from an area along the Caspian Sea near the Talish Mountains in Iran.

Officials say the items were likely obtained from excavations of burial sites.