Iron Age iron bars discovered in Austria linked to Danube shipwreck

Archaeologists have identified Europe’s largest known collection of Iron Age iron bars in Austria, raising the possibility that the valuable cargo was lost in a shipwreck on the Danube more than 2,000 years ago.

Workers recovered at least 500 ingots, making this collection the largest known find of its type from the Iron Age in Europe. The “rusty treasure,” as the researchers called it in a press release, would have been valuable during the Iron Age, when iron production and trade expanded across Europe.

“Fortunately, the gravels (who found the iron bars) reported this discovery 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.

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The iron bars, which together weigh more than a ton, could have been used to forge about 500 swords weighing between 3.3 and 4.4 pounds each, according to the researchers.

The research was published earlier this fall by archaeologist Trebsche and archaeologist Marion Berranger in the journal Antiquity.

Austrian archaeologists have identified Europe’s largest known collection of Iron Age iron bars, dating back more than 2,000 years. A depiction of an Iron Age battle can be seen on the right. (Heinz Gruber, Bundesdenkmalamt; Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

The iron bars were first discovered in 2019 during gravel mining work in Deinham, Austria.

The researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the iron bars, which likely date to the third or second century BC.

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Although its intended destination remains unknown, researchers believe the iron may have been forged in Bavaria, Germany, before being transported along the Danube.

The discovery sheds new light on the scale of ancient iron production, which was difficult to measure because iron objects are often overlooked or difficult to date, the researchers said.

“Fortunately, Gravelmen reported this discovery to the Monuments Authority and did not sell them to a scrap dealer.”

“Therefore, the discovery of numerous double-pointed iron objects during gravel mining along the Danube provided a unique opportunity to investigate large-scale prehistoric iron production and trade,” the press release said.

In a statement, Trebsche called the discovery “nothing short of a small miracle.”

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He added: “I am sincerely grateful to the discoverers who (the workers) decided to donate this extraordinary treasure to the collection of a state museum.”

Trebsche told Fox News Digital that iron bars were found during gravel mining work in an old channel filled with Danube silt.

The iron bars were likely being transported along the Danube when a possible shipwreck sent the precious cargo underwater. (Andreas Blaickner and Markus Staudt, Institute of Archaeology, University of Innsbruck)

He said a shipwreck was the most plausible explanation for how the bars ended up in the river, although no ship remains were found.

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“No part of the ship has been recovered because this section of the Danube presents certain dangers for navigation, such as stone balls and sandbanks,” Trebsche noted.

“This interpretation is also supported by the fact that none of the finds show signs of intentional destruction, which would indicate ritual offering in the Late Iron Age.”

The ancient iron bars were discovered during gravel mining work in an old silt-filled Danube canal in Austria, pictured. (Heinz Gruber, Bundesdenkmalamt)

He also said that the figure of 500 swords was only an estimate since the iron could have been used to make tools or jewelry rather than weapons.

“The amount of iron from Deinham is about ten times greater than the largest iron discoveries of this period,” he said.

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Trebsche said the most surprising aspect of the discovery was the large amount of iron transported at one time and the fact that so much was available for a single commercial transaction in the late Iron Age.

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“This discovery demonstrates the increase in iron production capacities reached in the 3rd/2nd century BC in the Danube region,” he said.

A number of other Iron Age discoveries have been announced across Europe over the past year.

Archaeologists estimate that the Iron Age iron collection contained enough metal to forge about 500 swords weighing between 3.3 and 4.4 pounds each. (Andreas Blaickner and Markus Staudt, Institute of Archaeology, University of Innsbruck)

Earlier this year, archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old temple in Denmark, in a major Iron Age settlement that once served as a regional center of power and wealth.

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Around the same time, researchers announced the discovery of rare remains of four-wheeled wagons among 950 Iron Age metal objects discovered in northern England, marking the first potential evidence of such vehicles in Britain.