Europe's largest iron hoard found in Austrian river

Europe's largest iron hoard has been discovered in Austria. Over 500 iron bars were found in the Danube river near Denham in Upper Austria since 2019.

During gravel mining, workers discovered double-pointed iron objects beneath the river water. A total of 540 pieces were recovered, of which at least 500 are identified as individual bars. Many bars are heavily rusted and encrusted with sand and gravel.

According to a research article published by Cambridge University Press, carbon dating of three bars shows they date to the 4th to 1st century BCE. This discovery provides important information about iron trade along the Danube at the end of the Iron Age.

In 2023, the recovered items were donated to the Oberosterreichische Landes-Kultur company in Linz, where they are held in permanent storage.