10 extraordinary treasures archaeologists unearthed this year
As long as people have been minting coins and creating beautiful jewelry and other stunning collectibles, just as many people will be searching for these precious finds. Here are 10 extraordinary discoveries from 2023 that prove the search for buried treasure never gets boring.
1. Huge coin collection in Japan
During a factory construction project north of Tokyo, workers were impressed when they unearthed a Supply of approximately 100,000 coins buried at the site. The money collection was divided into 1,060 bundles and dated between 175 B.C. and dated 1265 AD. The former comes from China and contained the Chinese inscription “Banliang,” which translates to “half ounce.” So far, researchers have examined around 334 of the coins, and it is unclear what additional treasures will be unearthed.
2. Underwater temple in Egypt full of sunken treasures
Underwater archaeologists exploring a canal off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast found one partially collapsed underwater temple full of treasures. Further exploration of the temple, constructed sometime in the middle of the second century B.C. Built for the ancient Egyptian god Amun, the cave collapsed in 200 BC and revealed a wealth of “treasures and secrets”, including silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry and alabaster containers.
3. “Lost” rainbow cup minted by Celts in Germany
A 2,000-year-old rainbow cup made by Celts was found on a river in Germany. The cup-shaped gold coin contains a rare design element: a four-pointed star surrounded by arches. The find is one of only three known rainbow cups containing this motif. The name rainbow cup comes from a Celtic legend, according to which they are drops of gold that fell to the earth at the end of a rainbow.
4. Civil War-era coins buried in a Kentucky cornfield
A bounty of 700 Civil War era coins was discovered by a man working in his corn field in Kentucky. Dubbed the “Great Kentucky Hoard,” the cache contained hundreds of gold coins minted between 1840 and 1863, as well as a handful of silver coins. Researchers believe the collection was buried before a Confederate raid in the summer of 1863.
5. “Striking” gold hair ring in a Bronze Age burial in Wales
A “sparkling gold hair ring” was part of one Bronze Age burial spotted along a road in Wales. When archaeologists excavated the burial site, they also came across a wooden comb believed to be the oldest of its kind ever found in Britain. Both objects were buried alongside the 3,000-year-old cremated remains of a person who likely had high social status, the researchers concluded.
6. Bronze Age swords and thousands of medieval coins in Germany
A group of volunteer conservationists has roughly figured something out 8,000 medieval coins and seven Bronze Age swords while I worked at three different locations in Germany. Archaeologists believe the 3,000-year-old weapons may have been placed there as part of a sacrifice. The coins, distributed over two locations, were part of the largest Slavic coin hoard from the 11th century.
7. Iron Age glass workshop littered with Celtic coins in the Czech Republic
Archaeologists discovered this in the Czech Republic oldest known glass workshop north of the Alps, and they believe it may have been used for ritual purposes. The 2,300-year-old workshop contained a number of finished and complete glass and amber items, including beads and bracelets, as well as 2,000 minted gold and silver coins Celts. They also found a square structure similar to other ancient buildings across Europe used for rituals.
8. Gold chains uncovered in a landslide in Spain
A landslide in northern Spain brought two “ornate” gold necklaces who were buried about 2,500 years ago. The first of the C-shaped necklaces, called torcs, was discovered by a utility worker, while the second was unearthed by a metal detector. Due to the style and technique used to create the jewelry, archaeologists concluded that the necklaces were made around 500 BC. 400 BC, during the Iron Age in Iberia, and were probably worn by members of the upper class.
9. Coin cache unearthed in an ancient Buddhist shrine in Pakistan
Archaeologists in Pakistan found one Collection of 2,000-year-old bronze coins between the ruins of an ancient Buddhist shrine known as a stupa. The coins and shrine are associated with the Kushan Empire, a primarily Buddhist polity that ruled the region from about the second century B.C.E. BC to the third century AD. Corrosion has melted the coins into a single, green-colored lump that weighs about 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms).
10. Copper coins hidden in a clay jar in Poland
A metal detectorist searching for spare parts for a tractor in a farmer’s field in Poland was surprised when he found one instead Hoard of 1,000 copper coins buried under the topsoil. Further excavation uncovered a broken clay “siwak” – a locally made jug with a single handle and a narrow neck – full of coins minted in Warsaw in the 17th century. However, even in circulation, the coins were not very valuable, and the entire treasure would have been enough to buy “about two pairs of shoes,” experts say.
