The Early Iron Age assemblage from Ártánd between regional upheaval and interregional identity

Abstract The ostentatious assemblage discovered near Ártánd, in eastern Hungary, is one of the most important and most perplexing finds of the Early Iron Age in the Carpathian Basin. The sheer amount and the outstanding craftsmanship of the items strongly indicate that the assemblage is closely associated with a member or members of a prominent elite group. Much of the scholarly attention the assemblage has received stems from the presence of a bronze hydria of Greek origin, which underscores its uniqueness. This paper endeavours to explore the wide-ranging contacts of the Ártánd assemblage in light of new discoveries and to evaluate what it tells about elite strategies in the 6th century BCE in the Carpathian Basin.