Ancient iron bars found in Danube River in Austria

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 02:20 · Archive

Over 500 iron bars weighing more than a metric ton have been recovered from the Danube River in Austria, possibly from a 2,000-year-old shipwreck.

Archaeologists have identified Europe's largest known collection of Iron Age iron bars in Austria after workers recovered over 500 bars during gravel extraction work in Deinham in 2019. The bars, weighing more than a metric ton combined, likely date to the third or second century B.C. according to radiocarbon dating. Researchers believe the valuable cargo may have been lost in a shipwreck on the Danube River more than 2,000 years ago.

The iron bars could have been used to forge roughly 500 swords weighing between 3.3 and 4.4 pounds each. Peter Trebsche, a professor at the University of Innsbruck, told Fox News Digital that gravel workers fortunately reported the discovery to the Monuments Authority rather than selling the bars to a scrap dealer. While the intended destination remains unknown, researchers believe the iron may have been forged in Bavaria, Germany, before being transported along the Danube River.

The research was published by Trebsche and archaeologist Marion Berranger in the journal Antiquity. The discovery sheds light on the scale of ancient iron production, which has been difficult to measure because iron objects are often overlooked or difficult to date.

How it is being reported

• Enough iron to forge 500 swords discovered in river as ancient ‘rusty treasure’ emergesOver 500 bars weighing more than a metric ton were discovered during gravel extraction workNew York Post · 1 Nov, 02:03
• Ancient 'rusty treasure' emerges from river with enough iron to forge 500 swordsOver 500 iron bars pulled from the Danube River in Austria may point to a shipwreck that sank a massive Iron Age cargo over 2,000 years ago, researchers say.Fox News · 31 Oct, 14:00

In this story: Danube River · Austria · Deinham · Bavaria · Peter Trebsche · Marion Berranger · University of Innsbruck

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