Home · Science · Sep 20 archive
Archaeologists Uncover Europe's Largest Prehistoric Iron Cache
Developing
In Short: Archaeologists Peter Trebsche and Marion Berranger, in a study published in Antiquity, analyzed the find, confirming it as the largest assemblage of prehistoric iron bars in Europe.
In 2019, workers at a gravel extraction plant near the Danube River in Austria stumbled upon a massive collection of iron bars hidden in underwater gravel.
Radiocarbon dating indicates that these iron bars are at least 2,200 years old, with some possibly dating back to the 4th century BCE.
The haul consisted of 540 bars or parts of bars, weighing around a tonne of iron, enough to produce 500 swords or 8,000 nails.
Trebsche emphasized the significance of the find, stating, 'It is nothing short of a minor miracle that the largest mass find of prehistoric iron bars in Europe did not end up at scrap dealers, but was reported to the Austrian monument authority.
The iron bars were likely transported in a single exchange transaction, highlighting the increased iron production capacities in the Danube region during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE.
While the exact method of how the iron ended up in the riverbed remains unclear, the most plausible explanation is a shipwreck.
What's still developing
- In a study published in Antiquity, archaeologists Peter Trebsche from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and Marion Berranger from the Archaeomaterials Research Institute in France, have now reported their findings after carefully analyzing this "rusty treasure".
- "The possibility of ritual deposition cannot be excluded, but the homogeneous semi-product assemblage from Deinham differs considerably from the more varied composition of ritual river deposits," write the researchers in their published paper.
- Related: A 3,000-Year-Old Workshop May Have Revealed The Origins of The Iron Age For now though, we know the scale of the discovery, and how valuable it is.
- There were hundreds and hundreds of these bars, averaging almost 30 centimeters (nearly 12 inches) in length, hammered into a uniform, bipyramidal shape – meaning they were pointed at both ends.
- The researchers confirmed that these were 'semi-products', fashioned into shapes for easy transport, ready to be reworked later – and that the find is unprecedented, the largest mass discovery of prehistoric iron bars in Europe.
- "Even if we take material losses during manufacture into account, the iron from Deinham would have been sufficient to equip a large group of warriors with weapons," says Trebsche.