Investigations of an Early Iron Age Siege

Abstract

As part of a new research project, the team of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of the Eötvös Loránd University has been investigating the Early Iron Age hillfort at Dédestapolcsány-Verebce-bérc since 2020. Based on the results of previous fieldwalk sessions and metal detector surveys, we conducted excavations in 2022 to investigate the effects of the Iron Age siege on the settlement. We unearthed the remains of two buildings, one of which was apparently damaged by fire. A metal detector survey was also carried out simultaneously with the excavations, yielding a Late Bronze Age and several Middle Iron Age depots comprising bronze and iron artefacts.

Keywords

• Early Iron Age, fortified settlement, armed conflict, iron ingots, metal detector survey