Huge hoard of metal bars hints at vast Iron Age trade
These iron bars were initially found by workers excavating gravel in northern Austria. Credit: Peter Trebsche, Universität Innsbruck
Iron was central to life in Europe in the second and third century bc, but the scale of its production and trade has been unclear. The discovery of a ‘rusty treasure’ from Austria now suggests that more than one tonne at a time was being shipped along the River Danube during the Iron Age, around 2,200 years ago1.
Access options
Access through your institutionAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Learn moreSubscribe to this journal
Receive 52 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.83 per issue
Learn moreRent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Learn morePrices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02986-4
References
Trebsche, P. & Berranger, M. Antiquity https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10404 (2026).
Subjects
Latest on:
-
Watch scientists decipher burned scrolls without unrolling them
News
-
Exclusive: New evidence for hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun’s tomb
News
-
Ruins of ancient Asian city show engineering prowess and organization
Research Highlight
Jobs
-
Physician-Scientist Positions in Research Hospital, ShanghaiTech University
Invites visionary Physician-Scientists and Clinicians across all disciplines and career stages to join our foundational team.
Shanghai (CN)
ShanghaiTech University
-
Faculty Positions (School of Biomedical Engineering (BME))
School of Biomedical Engineering invites highly qualified candidates to apply for multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty positions.
Shanghai (CN)
ShanghaiTech University
-
Faculty Positions (School of Creativity and Art (SCA))
School of Creativity and Art (SCA) calls for candidates with exceptional academic records or demonstrated potential.
Shanghai (CN)
ShanghaiTech University
-
Faculty Positions (Information & Mathematical Science)
School of Information Science and Technology invites highly qualified candidates to fill multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty positions.
Shanghai (CN)
ShanghaiTech University
-
Tenure-track Faculty Positions in School of Physical Science and Technology
School of Physical Science and Technology (SPST) aims to create an environment that embodies the future of academic research and talent cultivation.
Shanghai (CN)
ShanghaiTech University