August 14, 2025Open Access

‘You Load Sixteen Tons, What Do You Get?’. The Jodłowno Hoard (Pomerania, Poland) as Evidence of Long‐Distance Contacts in the Early Iron Age

Key Points

The hoard demonstrates significant long-distance exchange of copper using Atlantic maritime routes, enhancing our understanding of prehistoric economies.
Analysis revealed that metal artefacts were locally reworked while following specific metallurgical properties, indicating advanced metallurgical skills.
Copper was originally sourced from Iberian polymetallic ore deposits, with careful selection and intentional deposition practices observed among metalworkers.
The findings provide new insights into prehistoric procurement and processing techniques, highlighting the complexity of northern European trade networks.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study presents multifaceted analyses of metal artefacts from the Jodłowno Hoard (Northern Poland), revealing that the metal originated from Iberian polymetallic ore deposits. Transported as raw ingots via Atlantic maritime routes, this copper was reworked locally into regionally distinctive forms. Elemental classification identified deliberate deposition patterns based on metallurgical properties, with artefacts wrapped together using lime bast cords. The findings indicate sophisticated metallurgical knowledge and intentional material selection by Early Iron Age metalworkers. Furthermore, the hoard provides clear evidence of long‐distance exchange networks linking Pomerania to western Europe, offering new insights into prehistoric metal procurement, processing and deposition practices in northern Europe.

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