ZAGREB, 8 Aug (Hina) - Archaeologists have discovered several hundred rare bipyramidal ingots - iron bars over 2,000 years old - along the River Sava and these semi-processed metal pieces were used in the production of tools, weapons, swords, and other items.

According to the Franciscan Monastery Museum "Vrata Bosne" near Orašje, during just two days of excavation at a site in Posavina Canton, a previously unrecorded quantity of bipyramidal ingots was unearthed, an unprecedented find in Europe. Until now, only a handful of such ingots have been known to exist, housed in museums in France, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These ingots were used by blacksmiths as raw material for further forging and crafting. Experts estimate the metal bars date from the transitional period between the La Tène and Roman eras.

This remarkable archaeological discovery was made by Pero Matkić, an enthusiast for the history of the Posavina region in the valley of the River Sava in northern Bosnia, together with a team of underwater archaeologists including Krunoslav Zubčić from the Croatian Conservation Institute in Zagreb and Nikica Spudić from the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service in Karlovac, in collaboration with the "Vrata Bosne" Museum.

"The ingots are characteristic of the transition from the La Tène to the Roman period, and are dated to the 1st or 2nd century BC. It is believed they were part of a shipment that sank in the River Sava, either due to bad weather or war, and remained hidden until now,” said Jozo Jezerčić, Director of the museum.

According to Jezerčić, detailed chemical analyses will now follow, aiming to determine the origin of the metal and to shed light on the trade routes that once connected Bosnia's Posavina region with Central Europe even in pre-Christian times.

"This discovery could forever change our understanding of the role Bosnian Posavina played in ancient trade and economy," Jezerčić emphasised.