Europe's Largest Iron Age Iron Bar Hoard Discovered in Austria
Over 500 bars, weighing more than a metric ton, were found in the Danube River, potentially lost over 2,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have identified Europe’s largest known collection of Iron Age iron bars in Deinham, Austria, a find that suggests the valuable cargo may have been lost in the Danube River more than 2,000 years ago. The discovery consists of at least 500 bars, totaling over a metric ton, making it the most significant Iron Age find of its kind in Europe.
The collection, described by researchers as a “rusty treasure,” would have been highly valuable during the Iron Age, a period marked by expanding iron production and trade across the continent. Fortunately, the gravel workers who unearthed the bars in 2019 reported the find to the Monuments Authority instead of selling them to a scrap dealer.
According to researchers, the iron bars could have been used to forge approximately 500 swords, each weighing between 3.3 and 4.4 pounds. The findings were published in the journal Antiquity by Professor Peter Trebsche of the University of Innsbruck and archaeologist Marion Berranger.
Radiocarbon dating indicates that the iron bars likely date to the third or second century B.C. While the exact destination of the cargo remains unknown, researchers theorize that the iron was forged in Bavaria, Germany, and transported along the Danube River.
The discovery offers new insights into the scale of ancient iron production, which has historically been challenging to quantify due to the nature of iron artifacts. The press release noted that the finding of numerous double-pointed iron objects during gravel extraction along the Danube provided a unique opportunity to study large-scale prehistoric iron production and trade.
Trebsche called the discovery “nothing short of a minor miracle” and expressed gratitude to the finders for donating the trove to a state museum collection. He explained that the bars were discovered in an old, silt-filled channel of the Danube.
A shipwreck is considered the most plausible explanation for the cargo's presence in the river, although no remains of a vessel were found. Trebsche noted that the section of the Danube where the bars were found presents navigational hazards such as stones and sandbanks, which could have contributed to a shipwreck and the dispersal of cargo. He also pointed out that the finds show no signs of intentional destruction, ruling out a ritual offering.
The estimate of 500 swords is based on the assumption that the iron was used for weaponry, but it could also have been fashioned into tools or jewelry. Trebsche stated that the quantity of iron from Deinham is about ten times larger than other significant Iron Age hoard finds from the same period.
The sheer volume of iron transported simultaneously and its availability for a single trade transaction during the Late Iron Age is particularly noteworthy. This finding highlights the advanced iron production capabilities achieved in the Danube region during the 3rd/2nd century B.C. Recent years have seen several other significant Iron Age discoveries across Europe, including an ancient temple in Denmark and wagon remains alongside metal objects in northern England.