Neat rows of engraved symbols wrap around the object—asterisks, triangles with antenna-like appendages, hatched diamonds, lightning bolts. As I hold the beaker to the light, I catch a slight tremble in my hands: The metal is so soft and pliable that I fear it will break apart in my fingers. The beaker dates to the Early Bronze Age, meaning the craftsman who meticulously scratched these symbols into silver did so roughly 4,300 years ago. What they all mean has been a riddle that’s baffled archaeologists and historians.