Social and Environmental Crises in the Early Iron Age (9th–7th centuries BC) in the Carpathian Basin: Causes, Events, Consequences

Project Leader

Gábor V. Szabó

Participants

Marcell Barcsi

Péter Bíró

Nikolett Dienes

Angéla Farkas

András Kovács

Péter Mogyorós

Csaba Demeter Nagy

Károly Tankó

Dániel Urbán

Partners

Bernhard Heeb (Berlin)

Martin Golec (Olomouc)

Bükk National Park

MNM-NRI

Period

Prehistoric Period, Iron Age

Between the 9th and 7th centuries BC, profound changes swept across Europe, transforming existing social and economic systems. During this period, iron spread widely, and in the steppe regions, a successful economic and military model of horse nomadism emerged. A more visibly represented elite appeared, introducing new rituals and novel types of prestige goods.

Numerous signs of this radical transformation are also evident in the central areas of the Carpathian Basin. Burial communities exhibiting eastern traits, completely different from local traditions, appeared at key transportation hubs in the region. Simultaneously, a series of fortified settlements developed in the mountainous areas, and increasing archaeological evidence points to extensive violent events—such as military campaigns, sieges, and the destruction of settlements. Ritual deposition practices that characterized the earlier periods evolved, with sacrificed objects now including items originating thousands of kilometers away from the North Pontic and Caucasus regions.

Our project aims to address questions that have so far been largely neglected in research on the Early Iron Age by exploring and investigating settlements from this period. Are the changes observed in our region the result of a sudden series of crises, or do they reflect a gradual transformation that began in earlier centuries? Did the arrival of foreign groups from the East contribute to these changes? How did environmental shifts influence the lives of the local inhabitants? And what role did innovations—such as iron technology and the adoption of elements of horse nomad warfare—play in this transformation?

The main site of the research work initiated in 2021 is the fortified settlement of Dédestapolcsány-Verebce-Bérc, which flourished in the 7th century BC before being destroyed by siege. During the exploration of this centrally significant settlement, we collected several hundred artifacts—including jewelry, weapons, and tools—and successfully uncovered buildings. At the same time, we also discovered material evidence of an earlier siege horizon dated to the 8th century BC at two fortified settlements located at the southern foothills of the Bükk Mountains.

The ongoing research at these newly discovered sites has provided a wealth of new information on early ironworking technology, the agricultural practices characteristic of the period, and offers a fresh perspective on the networks of local communities and their relationships with the steppe horse nomads in our region.