A 3,000-year-old bronze treasure was discovered in northern Bohemia

A treasure from the Middle Bronze Age was discovered near Budyně nad Ohří. A set of nineteen bronze objects consisting of tools, weapons and jewellery was discovered in a field on the outskirts of the town by a prospector with a metal detector who handed the artefacts over to the Podřipské Museum in Roudnice nad Labem.

The treasure consists of eight bracelets, eight axes, two long spherical-headed needles and one Bronze Age spearhead . All the objects are cast in bronze, which will now be analysed at the Institute of Archaeology and Museology in Brno. "It was found in the Budyně region, but we don't want to give the exact location, quite deliberately, so as not to disturb the site - otherwise it would be quite likely given that there are a number of unruly and uncooperative detectorists," archaeologist Doc. PhDr. Martin Trefný, Ph.D.

The analysis used X-ray fluorescence analysis to determine the material composition, which can help trace the origin of the metals. A microscopic photograph of the axe blade will allow the identification of the type of damage and traces that may indicate how and for what purpose the blade was used: "X-ray fluorescence is the method that will tell us the composition of the bronze. If the composition is specific in some way, it could tell us something about its origin," Trefný added.

The treasure was put in the ground deliberately. For what purpose is difficult to guess today; it could have been a votive offering to a deity, or a depot deposited in response to danger - for example, an enemy raid and the original owner was no longer available to retrieve it. The metal was very valuable, the finely worked tools representing a considerable fortune. Items may also have been intended for sale and placed in the ground for temporary storage, e.g. by a merchant near a merchant trail or by the maker himself.

After analysis, the artefacts will undergo conservation and should be exhibited in the Podřipské Museum in early 2025.

Roman Němec

Sources: thehistoryblog.com, irozhlas.cz

The whole set from Budyně nad Ohří

needle with a spherical head

detail of the decorated ball head of the needle

needles

spearhead

decorated bracelet

axes

Archaeologist Martin Trefný