Archeologists have discovered at least six hoards of ancient artifacts on top of a volcanic hilltop.
Finds at the site include spearheads, tusks of domestic boars, and objects associated with bronze working, all dating back between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.
The area seems to be rich with finds, as 19th-century local farmers also (accidentally) unearthed their fair share of treasures.
Whether people buried their wealth as ritual offerings to the gods or to hide it from greedy leaders, the ancient hoards they left behind are extremely valuable to modern-day scientists. Using metal detectors and LiDAR surveys, one archaeological team recently found over 300 artifacts from at least six different hoards in Hungary, including weapons, amber beads, and tusks of domestic boars. Researchers published their findings in the journal Antiquity.
The excavations took place at Somló—a wine region in western Hungary located mostly on the slopes of an extinct volcano—and were part of a larger research project by the National Institute of Archaeology of the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre.
Researchers determined that the hoards date back to between the Late Bronze Age (1450–800 B.C.) and Early Iron Age (800–450 B.C.). The transition between these periods is marked by the fall of several prominent Bronze Age civilizations and, as the name suggests, a shift to iron and steel tools. One notable find at the site is an elaborate Alpine-style spearhead, but archeologists also discovered fabric and leather remains buried in the area, along with countless other objects associated with bronze working.
Though the study is impressive, it’s far from the first time relics have been discovered in the area. Modern-day Somló is known for its wine production, and in the 19th century, local farmers began accidentally unearthing artifacts on the hilltop. Unfortunately—as Bence Soós, first author of the study, told Live Science—there was no formal documentation tracking where the farmers found the hoards. However, researchers do know that the farmers discovered artifacts like jewelry, weapons, and bronze vessels.
According to the paper, the “[s]ix new hoards present the unparalleled opportunity to study hoarding traditions and depositional practices, and to evaluate the changing roles and functions of the hilltop site.”
Researchers concluded that the hoarding practices in the area were “intentional and complex,” and the evidence from the new hoards will be combined with older discoveries to provide a more thorough understanding of the region. In the future, the team seeks to date the hoards and the inhabitants that buried them more precisely.
According to the paper, one of the six hoards—known as “Hoard V”—will be particularly useful in this effort.
“Hoard V is probably the most recent of the Late Bronze Age depositions so far identified on the hill,” the paper reads. As a result, “radiocarbon dating of zooarchaeological material associated with this hoard […] could provide clearer chronological understanding of the transitional period between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age at the site.”
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