The hope of finding treasures or ancient artifacts feeds those people who go in search of them with metal detectors. And, perhaps, these hopes and efforts will not turn out to be in vain, because in the bowels of the earth there are indeed many interesting things hidden. The main thing, when planning to arrange such an exciting adventure for yourself, is to remember the law. In this review, there are a dozen of amazing and valuable finds that were made by enthusiasts.
1. Crosby Garrett Helmith
This 1800-year-old helmet, or rather dozens of its fragments, were found in one of the fields in England. It took more than 200 hours to restore him at the auction house, where he was found after discovery, but the efforts were not in vain. This stunning find consisted of a mask reflecting a classic Roman face and paired with a headdress adorned with a miniature griffin figurine.
1800 year old helmet
The restored helmet was not intended for warriors; it was used by Roman cavalrymen during tournaments or performances to recreate famous battles. A total of three similar helmets have been found in the UK. The find was subsequently sold at auction for £ 2.3 million, 10 times its market value.
2. Staffordshire treasure
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In 2009 in Britain, in Staffordshire, the largest Anglo-Saxon hoard of gold and silver objects was found, which had lain in the ground for 1300 years. However, all the items found were intended only for military purposes - swords, helmets. Archaeologists do not know exactly why all this was buried. Some believe that the victors hid their spoils, others - that these items were offerings to the gods. Most of the items were bent or broken.
Staffordshire treasure
The Germanic tribes had a custom to break weapons before burial so that no one could use them. They believed that in this case the offerings were sent to the spirit world. And only three gold items from this amazing treasure were not directly related to military affairs - two crosses and a plate with a quote from the Bible. Apparently, these items served as amulets for the warriors.
3. Sterling necklaces (torques)
David Booth took a metal detector with him when he went out for a walk, and found at a depth of only six inches one of the most significant treasures ever found in Scotland. These were four necklaces (torques) made by a blacksmith between 300 and 100 BC. e. The find was unusual in that the necklaces were made in different styles, two of them in the Scottish style, one in the French, and one, the most interesting, combined two styles at once - the Mediterranean and the Scottish.
Sterling necklace
This find showed that the Scottish tribes in the Iron Age were more closely related to each other and Europe than previously thought. National Museums of Scotland bought torques for £ 462,000
4. Eskrik's Ring
In 2009, in a field outside the town of Eskrik, an elegant ring was found, made, according to experts, in the 5-6 century in Europe and belonging to a man of a noble family. At the same time, the ring was made specifically for the stone to show its beauty. The sapphire in it was several centuries older than the ring itself. Historians still hope to understand the technology of making a ring of such high quality. It was sold to the Yorkshire Museum for £ 35,000.
Sapphire ring
5. Cross from Aunslev
In March 2016, in the town of Aunslev in Denmark, an amateur archaeologist found an unusual artifact, probably representing a cross 4.1 cm long and 13.2 g in weight, dated to the first half of the 10th century. The image on one side resembles a crucifix. Perhaps it will turn out to be the oldest crucifixion ever found in Denmark.
Oldest crucifix found in Denmark
And then scientists will have to reconsider their ideas about when Christianity was adopted in Denmark. However, it has not yet been precisely established whether this find is really a Christian relic, and not a pagan decoration.
6. Tomb of the Roman era
In March 2016, in the town of Aunslev in Denmark, an amateur archaeologist found an unusual artifact, probably representing a cross 4.1 cm long and 13.2 g in weight, dated to the first half of the 10th century. The image on one side resembles a crucifix. Perhaps it will turn out to be the oldest crucifixion ever found in Denmark.
Oldest crucifix found in Denmark
And then scientists will have to reconsider their ideas about when Christianity was adopted in Denmark. However, it has not yet been precisely established whether this find is really a Christian relic, and not a pagan decoration.
6. Tomb of the Roman era
Phil Kirk, a treasure hunter from England, having found a Roman coin in the field, thought that the search should continue here. And he was right - several jugs and a bronze dish were indeed found. Kirk contacted local experts and told them about his find, and they decided to investigate the field in person. Archaeologists found a bottle with cremated bones and concluded that there was a burial of a noble person here.
Roman era sword hilt
They also found glass bottles, an iron lamp, a small piece of lava, and a coin dating from the early third century. But the main discovery was glass mosaic dishes made in Alexandria (Egypt). Subsequently, in 1954, Roman pottery was found in the same field, and in 2013 - a grave with the remains of a Roman.
7. Shapvik treasure
In 1998, in Somerset, England, a treasure of Roman silver coins from the 1st century BC was discovered by accident. e. - 3rd century AD e. in the amount of 9212 pieces. Archaeologists have established that there were Roman settlements in England at that time, and the coins were apparently buried by the owner of one of the Roman villas. The Museum in Somerset bought the treasure for £ 265,000.
Somerset treasure
8. Hoxne's Treasure
In 1992, when he went to the field to look for the lost hammer of his friend, Eric Lowes found a treasure of gold and silver there. Friends reported the find to the city council, and soon a team of archaeologists arrived. In total, 14,865 Roman coins of gold, silver and bronze of the late 4th - early 5th centuries (the times of the late Roman Empire) and about 200 silver cutlery and gold jewelry were found as a result of excavations.
Treasure from the late Roman Empire
The lost hammer, by the way, was also found. The treasure also had historical value. Many of the spoons were engraved with Christian symbols, indicating that their owners were Christians. And this, in turn, means that Christianity was already adopted in Roman Britain at that time.
9. Axes of the Bronze Age
During his search, Tom Pearce unearthed first one bronze ax, then several dozen more of the same. Together with friends who came to his aid, about 500 such specimens were excavated, made around 700 BC. e. The amazing thing was that all these axes were never used for their intended purpose, and they could not be used, because, made of poor quality metal, they were very fragile. Therefore, it was concluded that they were made and buried for ritual purposes.
Ritual ax
10. Ringlemere Cup
In 2001, amateur archaeologist Cliff Bradshaw, who unearthed several seventh-century artifacts in Ringlemere Barrow in England and pursued further searches at the site, was fortunate enough to unearth a delightful old goblet made between 1700 and 1500 BC. And despite significant damage, he looked fine.
Gold Cup
The goblet was made from a solid ingot of gold, like five others found in continental Europe. The find suggested that the people who lived here had connections with continental Europe long before the arrival of the Romans. The British Museum bought this goblet for £ 270,000.
Based on materials: listverse.com