Ancient gold coins unearthed in Turkey by archaeologists

An interesting discovery has been made. A team of archaeologists found a pot filled with gold. It is likely to be over 2,400 years old.

A team of scientists, led by archaeologist Christopher Ratte from the University of Michigan, discovered a real treasure. Gold Persian coins were found buried in a small pot in the ancient Greek city of Notion in the province of Izmir, in the western part of Turkey.

The found coins are Persian darics, minted from high-purity gold. They depict a kneeling archer, and on the reverse side, there is an incised rectangle. These coins were used in ancient times to pay the wages of Greek mercenaries.

"The discovery of such a valuable find in a controlled archaeological excavation is very rare," said Christopher Ratte, as quoted in an article published on the University of Michigan's website. "No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it. So only the gravest misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure." So, the archaeologist added, only the most serious misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure today.

As archaeologists emphasize, the unearthed clay pot was filled to the brim with coins. Interestingly, the monthly wage of a mercenary in ancient times was just one such daric.

According to archaeologists, darics were minted from the late 6th century BCE until the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. During this time, the design of the coins was nearly identical—the differences were almost invisible.

Experts date that the found coins could be as old as 2,400 years. Detailed studies of the treasure are still ongoing.