Treasure find from Moosbruckschrofen am Piller
The Bronze Age treasure find from Moosbruckschrofen am Piller in the municipality of Fließ in Tyrol is the largest and most diverse depot find from the Bronze Age in Europe.
Discovery, find situation and recovery
The discovery of the deposit in 2001 is thanks to an amateur archaeologist. In a crevice, he noticed a collection of bronze objects under a stone slab. After experts were informed about the find, the archaeological team from Archaeotirol took over the recovery. The place of discovery was measured, the find situation was documented, after which the bronzes could be removed piece by piece. It was found that the items in question were perfectly preserved costume components, jewelry , weapons , equipment and raw materials.
The depot
The size of this hoard is unparalleled in Europe. 167 sickles and sickle fragments alone came to light, plus 80 hatchets (these were not only used as weapons but also for stunning sacrificial animals), two full-hilted swords, half of one of the oldest metal helmets in Europe, raw materials, decorative needles and other items of costume and jewelry. The bronzes were originally packed in a ceramic vessel that was deposited in the rock niche. Many pieces are intentionally bent or broken.
Raw materials contained in the depot, such as cast cakes (remnants of melted refined copper ore) and cast blanks (portioned, ready-to-forge bronze pieces) indicate local bronze crafts. The objects date between 1550 and 1300 BC. And thus fall into the Middle Bronze Age.
Reason for resignation
Due to the long period that this depot covers (a good 250 years), the laying down seems to be of a cultic nature. This is also supported by the intentional destruction of the objects. This procedure is relatively common in the Bronze Age and served the purpose of protecting objects used for ritual purposes from secular reuse. Burn marks underline the votive character. It is very likely that there is a connection with the nearby fire sacrifice site on the Piller Höhe , which has been shown to have been in use from the later Middle Bronze Age to the La Tène period . It is astonishing that the objects were collected over such a long period of time. They must have been retained (kept in a sanctuary) during this time because they were regularly cleaned and cared for. Various sources have shown that temple treasures existed in Greece at that time, which were handled in a similar way and which were ritually deposited in sacrificial shafts after a certain period of time. Such an approach can also be assumed here.
literature
- G. Tomedi: The Bronze Age treasure trove from the Piller . Writings Museum Fließ 1 (Fließ 2004).
- G. Tomedi / S. Nicolussi Castellan / J.Pöll: The treasure trove from Moosbruckschrofen am Piller ; Gem. Fliess in the Oberinntal. In: Archaeotirol, klein Schriften 3 (Wattens 2001) 62–75.