Ancient warrior elite? Over 900 Bronze and Iron Age artefacts unearthed on Hungary’s Somló Hill

Archaeologists in Hungary have uncovered more than 900 Bronze and Iron Age artefacts on Somló Hill, a striking volcanic formation in western Hungary better known today for its vineyards. The discovery, made with the help of metal detectorists and advanced surveying methods like lidar, sheds new light on a mysterious society that thrived in the region between 1400 and 900 B.C., during a poorly understood transitional period between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.

The finds—comprising jewellery, weapons, military decorations, and tools—were buried in at least six distinct hoards, indicating ritualistic or symbolic metal deposition practices. Many of the artefacts were recovered from a plateau on the southeastern side of the hill, and researchers believe the items likely belonged to elite warrior clans who ruled the area more than 3,000 years ago, LiveScience reports.

Somló: A hill rich in history

Though Somló is now synonymous with wine production, its archaeological importance has been known since the 19th century, when farmers and vintners began accidentally unearthing ancient objects. According to Bence Soós, archaeologist and museologist at the Hungarian National Museum, those early discoveries hinted at a long history of human activity on the hill, particularly between the 13th and 6th centuries B.C. However, since no records were kept of where the artefacts were originally found, many questions remained unanswered.

To address this gap, Soós and his team launched a systematic excavation and surveying campaign, combining field walking with metal detection and lidar scanning. Their goal: to understand who lived on Somló and what role the hill might have played in ancient Hungarian prehistory.

• If you’re curious how old you’d be today if you were born during the Bronze Age, try an age calculator, it’s a fun way to put 3,000 years in perspective.