Large Iron Age iron-bar cache found in Austria

Culture · First reported 31 Oct, 14:00 · Updated 14:55

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Rekia1991 · CC BY-SA 4.0

At least 500 iron bars weighing more than a metric ton were recovered in Deinham, Austria. Researchers date them to the third or second century B.C.; a shipwreck in the Danube is considered a possible explanation for their location, but no vessel remains were found.

The bars were found during gravel extraction in Deinham in 2019, and radiocarbon dating indicates they likely date to the third or second century B.C.
Researchers say the cache includes at least 500 bars and weighs more than a metric ton; the iron could make roughly 500 swords, though tools or jewelry are also possible uses.
A shipwreck is one proposed explanation for the bars’ presence in an old Danube channel, but no ship remains were recovered and the cargo’s destination is unknown.

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Key facts

Location: Deinham, Austria; an old channel of the Danube River.
Discovery: Found in 2019 during gravel extraction.
Scale: At least 500 bars weighing more than one metric ton in total.
Estimated age: Likely third or second century B.C., based on radiocarbon dating.
Possible explanation: Researchers consider a shipwreck plausible, but no vessel remains were found.