Dedestaporčany Velebce is an Iron Age hill fort and settlement located at the northwestern tip of the Byuk Mountains in northern Hungary.
Hillforts are typically built on high ground to serve as fortified settlements or defensive structures, providing strategic views of the surrounding landscape.
– Advertisement –
Archaeological evidence shows that this site was first settled during the Early Iron Age, at a cultural crossroads between several major cultures.
In the 7th century BC, this hillfort was destroyed by Scythian warriors from the Pontic Steppe (present-day Ukraine and southern Russia). This is evidenced by the discovery of hundreds of early Scythian bronze arrowheads, as well as charred buildings and destroyed layers of molten bronze. artifact. Image credit: Institute of Archeology of the ELTE BTK
Since 2020, excavations have uncovered more than 30 deposits, including iron blooms, and hundreds of iron, bronze, and gold artefacts (jewelry, tools, daggers, and sickles).
High concentrations of iron blooms suggest that Dedestaporsany Velebce was a major iron-making center, with more than 600 objects recovered over several seasons.
– Advertisement –
In September 2024, a multinational team led by the Institute of Archeology of ELTE BTK will uncover further structures destroyed by the Scythians, in addition to the residence containing domestic goods and artifacts kept for security. Found traces.
The most important discovery is a treasure trove of more than 60 bronze and iron objects, including ornate jewelry and pieces of horse equipment.
Several of the items in the vaults originate from southeastern European cultures, particularly the Balkan region, and provide new insights into the trade and cultural exchanges and conflicts that ultimately led to the settlement’s destruction. Masu.
Header image credit: ELTE BTK Institute of Archeology
Source: ELTE BTK Archaeological Institute
– Advertisement –
