Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,300-year-old Iron Age glass workshop that may be one of the oldest in the world.
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Archaeologists in the Czech Republic have discovered the oldest known glass workshop north of the Alps, which may have been used for ceremonial purposes.
The Iron Age workshop was part of the early settlement of Niemczyce, which was active in the third and second centuries BC and produced a variety of elegant glass bracelets and beads. During the excavations, archaeologists also discovered more than 2,000 gold and silver coins minted by the Celts who lived on the European continent, indicating that the site was a center of trade. The team also discovered a possible shelter, indicating that Iron Age people performed rituals there, according to a study published June 29 in the journal Antiquity.
Researchers discovered Niemczyce during excavations in 2002, and subsequent exploration found sunken huts, bronze amulets and coins scattered throughout the site. The coins suggest that Niemrzyce may have been part of the Amber Route, a major central European network linking the Baltic coast to the Mediterranean. However, more than 20 years passed before they found the glass workshop, according to the statement.
Although no glass-making tools were found there, researchers found a mixture of finished and incomplete glass and amber objects, which may indicate they were made locally rather than imported from elsewhere.
“No one yet knows exactly how the Celts made glass bracelets,” lead author Ivan Cizmar, an archaeologist at the Institute of Archaeological Heritage in Brno, Czech Republic, said in a statement. “So we are interested in everything that tells us about the production technology.”
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In addition to the artifacts, the researchers also discovered a square structure similar to ancient structures used for rituals, including the Sandberg site in Austria that was once occupied by the Celts, the study said.
“The presence of these possibly sacred objects at Nemszyce demonstrates the character of the site not only as a center of trade and production, but also as an elite residence and ceremonial center,” Zizmaz said.
Jennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, and others. She covers a variety of scientific topics, from Earth to paleontology, from archeology to health and culture. Before becoming a freelancer, Jennifer worked as an editor at Time Inc. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Post time: Sep-26-2024