Archaeologists have uncovered Europe’s largest known cache of Iron Age iron bars in Austria, raising the possibility that the valuable cargo sank in a shipwreck on the Danube more than 2,000 years ago.
At least 500 bars were recovered, making the hoard the largest Iron Age discovery of its kind documented anywhere in Europe. Researchers described the find as a “rusty treasure” in a press release, noting that iron was a highly valuable commodity as production and long-distance trade expanded during the Iron Age.
“Fortunately, the gravel workers [who found the iron bars] reported this find to the Monuments Authority and did not sell them to a scrap dealer,” Peter Trebsche, a professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, told Fox News Digital.
With a combined weight of more than one metric ton, the bars could have supplied enough metal to forge approximately 500 swords, each weighing between 3.3 and 4.4 pounds, according to the research team.
The study was published earlier this fall in the journal Antiquity by Trebsche and archaeologist Marion Berranger.
The bars were discovered in 2019 during gravel extraction near Deinham, Austria.
Radiocarbon analysis indicates that the iron likely dates to the third or second century B.C.
Although the bars’ final destination is unknown, researchers suspect the iron may have been produced in Bavaria, Germany, and then shipped along the Danube.
The discovery offers rare insight into the scale of ancient iron production. Researchers have said that the industry is difficult to assess because iron artifacts are often overlooked, while many are challenging to date.
“Fortunately, the gravel workers reported this find to the Monuments Authority and did not sell them to a scrap dealer.”
“Therefore, the discovery of numerous double-pointed iron objects during gravel extraction along the River Danube provided a unique opportunity to investigate large-scale prehistoric iron production and trade,” the press release stated.
Trebsche described the discovery in a statement as “nothing short of a minor miracle.”
“I am sincerely grateful to the finders that [the workers] decided to donate this extraordinary trove to a state museum collection,” he added.
Trebsche told Fox News Digital that the bars were found in an old, silt-filled channel of the Danube during gravel extraction.
He said a shipwreck is the most likely explanation for the bars’ presence in the river, even though no surviving vessel remains were identified.
“No parts of the ship were recovered, because this section of the Danube poses some dangers to navigation like stone balls and sand banks,” Trebsche said.
“In support of this interpretation is also the fact that none of the finds shows signs of intentional destruction, which would be indicative of a ritual offering during the Late Iron Age.”
Trebsche cautioned that the estimate of 500 swords is only one possibility. The iron may instead have been used to manufacture tools, jewelry or other objects.
“The amount of iron from Deinham is about ten times larger than the largest iron hoard finds of that period,” he said.
For Trebsche, the most remarkable feature of the find is the enormous quantity of iron being transported at one time, as well as the fact that a single Late Iron Age trade transaction could involve so much material.
“This finding demonstrates the increased capacities of iron production that were reached in the 3rd/2nd century BC in the Danube region,” he said.
The discovery is one of several notable Iron Age finds reported across Europe during the past year.
Earlier this year, archaeologists uncovered a 2,000-year-old temple in Denmark at a major Iron Age settlement that once functioned as a regional hub of power and wealth.
Around the same time, researchers announced the discovery of rare remains from a four-wheeled wagon among 950 Iron Age metal objects found in northern England. The find may represent the first evidence of vehicles of this type in Britain.
