Extraordinary treasures that archaeologists unearthed this year (11 photos)

From caches of gold and silver ritual instruments to intricately designed jewelry.





1. Massive collection of coins from Japan



Courtesy of Maebashi City

During a factory construction project north of Tokyo, workers discovered a buried cache containing approximately 100,000 coins. The find was divided into 1060 bundles and dated to the period between 175 BC. e. and 1265 AD e. The first one was made in China and contains the Chinese inscription "Banliang", which translates to "half ounce". So far, researchers have studied about 334 coins.

2. An underwater temple overflowing with sunken treasure in Egypt





European Institute for Underwater Archeology

Underwater archaeologists exploring a canal off Egypt's Mediterranean coast have discovered a partially collapsed underwater temple full of treasure. Further exploration of the building, which collapsed sometime in the middle of the 2nd century BC. e. and was built for the ancient Egyptian god Amun, revealed many artifacts including silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry and alabaster vessels.

3. The “Lost” Rainbow Cup Minted by the Celts in Germany



Stefanie Friedrich, Archaeological State Collection (Munich)

A 2,000-year-old rainbow cup was found on a riverbank in Germany. The cup-shaped gold coin features a rare design element: a four-pointed star surrounded by arches. This is one of three known rainbow cups containing this motif, and refers to the legend that these cups were created from drops of gold that fell from the edge of the rainbow.

4. Civil War coins buried in a cornfield in Kentucky.



Numismatic Guaranty Co.

The find of 700 coins was discovered by a man working in his corn field in Kentucky. The gold and silver coins, dubbed the "Great Kentucky Hoard," were minted between 1840 and 1863. Researchers believe the collection was buried before a Confederate raid in the summer of 1863.

5. Gold hair ring from a Bronze Age burial in Wales



Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

When archaeologists excavated the burial site, they also discovered a wooden comb believed to be the oldest of its kind ever found in Britain. Both objects were left next to the 3,000-year-old cremated remains of a man who likely had high social status.

6. Bronze Age swords and thousands of medieval coins from Germany



Markus Scholz

A group of volunteer conservationists discovered nearly eight thousand medieval coins and seven Bronze Age swords while working at three different sites in Germany. Archaeologists believe the weapon, which is about 3,000 years old, may have been placed there as part of a sacrifice. The coins were part of the largest Slavic coin hoard of the 11th century.

7. Iron Age glass workshop from the Czech Republic, littered with Celtic coins



Ivan Cizmar, et al; Antiquity Publications Ltd

In the Czech Republic, archaeologists have discovered the oldest known glass workshop north of the Alps. It is assumed that it could have been used for ritual purposes. The 2,300-year-old workshop contained a range of finished glass and amber items, including beads and bracelets, as well as two thousand gold and silver coins minted by the Celts. The treasure was found next to a building in which various rituals were held.

8Gold Necklaces Discovered in a Landslide in Spain



Andres Victorero

A landslide in northern Spain has uncovered two ornate gold necklaces that were buried some 2,500 years ago. Based on the style and technique of making the jewelry, archaeologists have concluded that it was made around 500 BC. BC, during the Iron Age in Iberia, and were probably worn by members of the upper class.

9. A cache of coins from an ancient Buddhist temple in Pakistan



Pawel Ziemuk/WKZ Lublin

Pakistani archaeologists have discovered a collection of 2,000-year-old bronze coins among the ruins of an ancient Buddhist temple known as a stupa. The treasures and sanctuary are associated with the Kushan Empire, a predominantly Buddhist state that ruled the region from approximately the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE. e. Corrosion caused the coins to fuse into a single green piece that weighs about 5.5 kilograms.

10. Copper coins hidden in a clay jug in Poland



Sheikh Javed Ali Sindhi

A hoard of 1,000 copper coins buried under the topsoil was discovered in a farmer's field in Poland. Further excavations revealed a broken clay "sivak" - a locally made jug with a single handle and a narrow neck, overflowing with coins minted in Warsaw in the 17th century. However, even in circulation, the coins did not have much value, and the entire supply would have been enough to buy about two pairs of shoes of that time.

Archaeologists recently discovered a silver coin of the baptist prince of Rus' in Veliky Novgorod. This is the second piece of silver found in the entire history of excavations in the city.