Underwater archaeologists near the Sava River recover dozens of Iron Age bars that could explain shifts in local populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A team from the Museum of the Franciscan Monastery of Tolisa has recovered a set of bipyramidal metal ingots from the Sava River in Bosnia, submerged for more than two millennia. Experts call it the country\u2019s largest of its kind and say it may clarify what happened to nearby communities at the dawn of our era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bars\u2014bipyramidal ingots suited for transport and remelting\u2014were standard trade units that smiths could turn into tools or weapons. Their shapes and fine details point to the transition from the La T\u00e8ne period (around 450 BC) to the Roman world, with forging dates in the 1st or 2nd century BC. What makes this cache stand out? Its size, rarity, and remarkable condition after centuries under water:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike Italy, France, or Spain\u2014where ruins often break the surface\u2014Bosnia rarely yields such troves. The team mounted a dive when river levels fell enough for safe work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It began with Pedro Matki\u0107, a history enthusiast from Posavina, who spotted something odd in the Sava\u2019s murky water. After he shared photos with Hrvoje Vuli\u0107, director of the Municipal Museum of Vinkovci, underwater archaeologists organized the recovery. Talk about teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the museum, the fieldwork followed a careful sequence:<\/p>\n\n\n\nItem<\/th> Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Location<\/td> Near the Sava River, Bosnia (Tolisa Museum team)<\/td><\/tr> Period<\/td> Iron Age, transition from La T\u00e8ne to Roman<\/td><\/tr> Estimated date<\/td> 1st\u20132nd century BC<\/td><\/tr> Objects<\/td> Dozens of bipyramidal iron ingots<\/td><\/tr> Significance<\/td> Largest of its kind in Bosnia; unique set in Europe<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n