Humanity is hungry for gold. Rarity makes this metal extremely valuable, and its eternal brilliance symbolizes the power and immortality of the Sun.
Archaeologists find many gold items, the age of which is measured in centuries and thousands of years. Given the value of this precious metal, these artifacts are almost always much more than just works of art: they are a statement of power, faith or cultural identity. And many of them still remain a mystery to modern scientists.
10. Gold tablets with a curse
The curse tablets, or "tabella defixionis", were widespread in ancient Rome. These inscriptions, carved into metal, were used as instruments of revenge.
In August 2016, archaeologists discovered golden curse tablets in eastern Serbia. Although some of them were written in Greek, others were written in an incomprehensible language with incomprehensible symbols. Some of the tablets represented an invocation to a demon. Experts believe that unique symbols served as a secret code between the user of the tablet and the demon.
Dating back to the 4th century AD, these tablets reflect the changes taking place in the Roman Empire. They mention Christian and pagan deities, which demonstrates the slow transition in faith.
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Lead tablets with curses were discovered even earlier, but these golden versions are unique, since in ancient Rome there was a ban on burying the dead along with gold products and objects.
9. Golden Bell Of Dhammazei
The final resting place of the Great Bell of Dhammazadi remains one of Myanmar's longest-running secrets. Cast in the 15th century, the bell was made of an alloy of gold, silver and copper and weighed 300 tons.
It once stood near the Shwedagon Pagoda. In 1608, a Portuguese mercenary named Felipe de Brito with his confidants captured the bell and dragged it to the Bago River. During an attempt to ferry on a raft across the river, the bell sank.
Its location remains a mystery. International teams, using the latest advances in modern technology, have not yet managed to find the place of its final resting place. The muddy waters of the river make it extremely difficult to find the artifact. In addition, the Pegu River has changed its course over the past 400 years, so it is unlikely that prospecting is being carried out in the right place.
Others are not even sure of the existence of the bell, because three important historical texts, written 200 years after its creation, do not mention anything that would fit its description.
8. Golden spirals of sun worshipers
In 2015, archaeologists unearthed 2,000 golden spirals on the island of Zeeland (Denmark). Dated from 900-700 BC, they are 3 centimeters long and are made of fine wire of pure gold.
Archaeologists believe that these springs were part of the ceremonial clothing worn by the worshipers of the Sun during the Bronze Age. Perhaps they were sewn into ritual robes, woven into hair, or worn on a headdress. Sun worship was one of the main forms of worship in the Bronze Age. Given its radiance and eternal brilliance, gold was magically associated with the sun.
The excavation site where the golden spirals were found has one of the highest gold concentrations in Northern Europe. During the same excavations, several gold brooches were found. Prior to this, four gold bracelets were excavated.
In the 19th century, local farmers dug six gold bowls from a nearby field. Experts believe that such a high concentration of the precious metal indicates that this region was of particular importance to the inhabitants of the Bronze Age.
7. Mapungubwe Golden Rhino
The Mapungubwe golden rhinoceros is one of the most important artifacts found in South Africa. It consists of thin sheets of gold foil hammered over a neatly carved wooden frame. Together with the figure of a rhinoceros, 9 kilograms of gold jewelry, rosary and other animal figurines were found.
Mapungubwe was the largest kingdom of the 13th century in sub-Saharan Africa. It was located along the border of Botswana and South Africa. This complex country had a wide network of trade routes, stretching to Egypt and Asia.
For decades, the golden rhino has been attributed to political importance. When the figurine was unearthed in 1932, white South Africans refused to acknowledge that black Africans created this rhino. Their skill posed a threat to the apartheid ideology that provided the foundation of the state. Experts now agree that the Mapungubwe Rhino was made in the pre-colonial period.
6. Golden rings of the warrior-griffin
In 2015, archaeologists unearthed the grave of a warrior in Southwest Greece. Dating back to 1500 BC, the tomb contained the remains of a 30-year-old man who was dubbed the "Griffin Warrior." The tomb was filled with immaculately crafted artifacts, including four mysterious gold rings.
The rings consist of several sheets of gold and have images from Minoan mythology, made using a very complex carving technique. Experts believe that these rings were made in Crete and were used as seals for official documents.
The Minoan civilization of Crete mysteriously disappeared in 1200 BC. The prevailing theory is that the Mycenaean Greeks conquered the Minoans by completely absorbing their culture. However, some have suggested that the rings represent cultural interaction and exchange of ideas. Minoan objects may even be particularly revered as symbols of political power, since Minoan culture during this period influenced the mainland. Their aesthetic and building styles have already influenced the Mycenaeans. Others believe that these rings are nothing more than loot.
5. True Scythian style
In 1998, in the vicinity of Kyzyl, the capital of the Republic of Tyva (South Siberia), archaeologists discovered a mysterious cache of gold. In the grave of the 6th century BC, a man and a woman, they found 5,000 gold objects with a total weight of 20 kilograms.
Among these decorative items were earrings, pendants, beads, and beads. Many of them are figurines of animals or depicting images of animals. Panthers, lions, camels and deer are animals that once roamed Siberia.
These products represent the traditional Scythian style of Altai. This technique eventually spread throughout the entire Black Sea coast and merged with the Greek styles.
Many items of Scythian gold date from the period after which contact with the Mediterranean was discovered. However, this recent find is unique in that it reflects a true (“pure”) Scythian style that archaeologists have never seen before.
4. Golden crown of the Goddess of Love
The elderly Briton made a shocking discovery, and not just anywhere, but under his bed. In a cardboard box inherited from his grandfather, he discovered a 2300-year-old Greek crown made of solid gold. Experts have determined that it is a genuine myrtle wreath crown dating back to 300 BC.
A crown with a diameter of 20 centimeters weighs about 100 grams. The stylistic elements suggest that the item was made by a goldsmith in Northern Greece. The dirt embedded deep into the crown suggests that it was once in a burial place.
The ancient Greeks used crowns in the form of wreaths during religious holidays and sporting events. Such crowns were especially associated with Aphrodite. Myrtle was sacred to the goddess, and the crowns composed of it were a material reminder of the power of love.
No one knows exactly where the grandfather of the elderly Briton took the crown. But it is known that he actively traveled in the 1940-1950s and, in particular, was interested in the homeland of Alexander the Great.
3. Old gold
The elderly Briton made a shocking discovery, and not just anywhere, but under his bed. In a cardboard box inherited from his grandfather, he discovered a 2300-year-old Greek crown made of solid gold. Experts have determined that it is a genuine myrtle wreath crown dating back to 300 BC.
A crown with a diameter of 20 centimeters weighs about 100 grams. The stylistic elements suggest that the item was made by a goldsmith in Northern Greece. The dirt embedded deep into the crown suggests that it was once in a burial place.
The ancient Greeks used crowns in the form of wreaths during religious holidays and sporting events. Such crowns were especially associated with Aphrodite. Myrtle was sacred to the goddess, and the crowns composed of it were a material reminder of the power of love.
No one knows exactly where the grandfather of the elderly Briton took the crown. But it is known that he actively traveled in the 1940-1950s and, in particular, was interested in the homeland of Alexander the Great.
3. Old gold
During excavation work on the site of the future football field, Scottish workers unearthed a treasure consisting of artifacts from the Bronze Age. Among them, a mysterious sword with a golden hilt was discovered. It is believed to be 4,000 years old. The sword was so fragile that archaeologists were unable to extract it from the ground. For this purpose, they removed the entire piece of land in which he lay and transferred it to the laboratory. Given the fragile nature of the artifact, the find may be either a spearhead or a broken sword.
Scotland is simply filled with the sites of the ancient people of the Bronze Age. Researchers recently managed to recreate the likeness of a Scottish woman, "Ava", who died 3,700 years ago. It turns out that the inhabitants of the Bronze Age Scottish Highlands are physically indistinguishable from their modern-day descendants. Work on the football field was suspended for the period of archaeological work at the site.
1. Golden Plates of the Wind Gods
In 2016, workers on the island of Java discovered a box containing 22 small gold plates. The plates dating back to the 8th century AD depict divine signs and symbols. Workers discovered the remains of a kandy, or temple, located in the same area.
Plates made of 18K gold were discovered in a pile of stones in the village of Ringilarik. The inscriptions on them are engraved in ancient Javanese letters and represent the main directions of the wind gods in the ancient Javanese version of Hinduism. To date, experts have recorded the names of eight separate wind gods from these plates.
In 2016, many discoveries were made in this region. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of another temple and statue that date back to the 9th century of Java's Hindu period. The Central Java Heritage Conservation Agency has declared the site of the gold plates to be a cultural heritage site - a significant achievement in a country where Islam is the main religion.