'Rusty Treasure' in Austria Revealed as Europe's Largest Cache of Iron Age Iron Bars
- In a study published Monday in Antiquity, archaeologist Peter Trebsche of the University of Innsbruck and Marion Berranger of the Archaeomaterials Research Institute detailed the discovery of 540 ancient iron bars in Deinham, Austria, marking Europe's largest known prehistoric iron cache.
- Workers at a gravel extraction plant discovered the haul in 2019 among underwater gravel along the Danube River; researchers believe the iron likely represents a sunken ship's cargo from the 3rd/2nd century BCE.
- Weighing around 2,200 pounds, the collection consists of uniform bipyramidal 'semi-products' intended for forging; Trebsche noted the material would have been sufficient to equip a large group of warriors with approximately 500 swords or 8,000 iron nails.
- The homogeneous assemblage indicates commercial transport, challenging previous assumptions about Iron Age trade and production capacities; researchers note that specialized boats would have been required to carry such a massive load.
- Ongoing analysis aims to trace the metal's geographical origin, as the bars may have been forged in Bavaria; future examinations will determine if the iron came from a single location or multiple smelting regions upstream along the Danube.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Nearly 500 iron bars have been discovered in Austria. This collection is the largest collection of antique iron ever found in Europe.
More than a ton of Iron Age iron bars were found near the Danube. The cargo could have been used to make up to five hundred swords.
Archaeologists in Austria have declared that the treasure is composed of 500 half-finished alloys, weighing more than a ton, and dating back to the La Tin era, which runs from the middle of the fifth century to the first century B.C., confirming that the number of alloys, unprecedented in Europe, is enough to make about 500 swords. The head of the research team, Peter Tripsch, explained in a statement by the University, that the discovery shows …
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