Editing History of Austria (section)

== Iron Age ==
[[File:Hallstatt 5924.JPG|thumb|Leather shoe from the Hallstatt culture, 800–400&nbsp;B.&nbsp;C.]]
The [[Iron Age]] in Austria is represented by the [[Hallstatt culture]], which succeeded the Urnfield culture, under influences from the Mediterranean civilizations and [[Steppe]] peoples. This gradually transitioned into the [[Celts|Celtic]] [[La Tène culture]].

=== Hallstatt culture ===
[[File:Hallstatt LaTene.png|thumb|350px|Hallstatt (800 BC: solid yellow; 500 BC: light yellow) and La Tène (450 BC: solid green; 50 BC light green)]]
This early Iron Age culture is named after Hallstatt the [[type site]] in [[Upper Austria]]. The culture is often described in two zones, Western and Eastern, through which flowed the rivers [[Enns (river)|Enns]], [[Ybbs]] and [[Inn (river)|Inn]]. The West Hallstatt area was in contact with the Greek colonies on the [[Ligurian Sea|Ligurian]] coast. In the Alps, contacts with the [[Etruscans]] and under Greek influence regions in Italy were maintained. The East had close links with the Steppe Peoples who had passed over the Carpathian Basin from the southern Russian steppes.

The population of Hallstatt drew its wealth from the salt industry. Imports of luxury goods stretching from the North and Baltic seas to Africa have been discovered in the cemetery at Hallstatt. The oldest evidence of an Austrian wine industry was discovered in [[Zagersdorf]], [[Burgenland]] in a grave mound. The [[Cult Wagon of Strettweg]], [[Styria]] is evidence of contemporary religious life.

=== La Tène (Celtic) culture ===
In the later [[Iron Age]], the [[Celts|Celtic]] [[La Tène culture]] spread to Austria. This culture gave rise to the first-recorded local tribal ([[Taurisci]], [[Ambidravi]], [[Ambisontes]]) and place names. Out of this arose [[Noricum]] (2nd century to ''c''. 15 {{Smallcaps|b.c.}}) – a confederation of Alpine Celtic tribes (traditionally twelve) under the leadership of the [[Norici]]. It was confined to present-day southern and eastern Austria and part of [[Slovenia]]. The West was settled by the [[Raeti]].

[[Dürrnberg]] and [[Hallein]] (Salzburg) were Celtic salt settlements. In eastern [[Styria]] and the [[Burgenland]] (e.g., [[Oberpullendorf]]) high-quality iron ore was mined and processed, then exported to the Romans as ''ferrum noricum'' ([[Noric steel|Noric iron]]). This led to the creation of a Roman trading outpost on the [[Magdalensberg]] in the early 1st century {{Smallcaps|b.c.}}, later replaced by the Roman town Virunum. Fortified [[oppida|hilltop settlements]], e.g. [[Kulm bei Weiz|Kulm]] (east [[Styria]]), Idunum (mod. [[Villach]]), Burg ([[Schwarzenbach an der Pielach|Schwarzenbach]]), and Braunsberg ([[Hainburg an der Donau|Hainburg]]), were centers of public life. Some cities, such as [[Linz]], date back to this period also.