Hall 4 / Bronze Age
The Bronze Age in the Carpathian Basin is very rich and varied in metalwork, as the bronze and gold finds testify. Assemblages, often consisting of hundreds of bronze artefacts, belonging to one or two individuals, families or communities, provide a reliable basis for an authentic reconstruction of the costume and warfare practices of Bronze Age man. The minority of these come from settlements and cemeteries, while the majority have come to light as part of treasure troves or storage finds. Many of the gold objects on display here, crafted to a high artistic standard, are some of the finest examples of Bronze Age goldsmithing at its height.
Fun facts:
- The most important furnishings in Bronze Age households were hearths. Many variations of these are known from excavations. A new invention of the period was the portable caldron hearth combined with a pot or grate. Because of their economical heat storage and practicality, they were very popular household items for a long time.
- Bronze Age bird-shaped vessels, the askoi, were used as religious ceremonial objects and probably for storing sacrificial drink.
- Bronze was of great value at the time. Objects damaged or broken during the bronze casting process were remelted and recycled by the master smiths. In many cases, fragments of earlier objects can be recognised in the raw castings. Special tools of bronze-working have also been unearthed during excavations.
- Some of the Bronze Age treasures were not hidden by their owners because of hostile attacks. Researchers believe that most of the artefacts found in the ground or in water may have been sacrificial or votive offerings
Gold bracelet from the middle third of the 2nd millennium BC (Dunavecse)
8th century BC, Marosvásárhely (today: Târgu Mures), 1902
