The New Year has begun, and the treasures are getting older and more interesting! Let's see what was extracted from the ground in January.
1. Helmet decoration.
Two instrument search enthusiasts walked through a field in Leir, northwest of the Danish island of Zealand. We walked and walked, and then the metal detector honked furiously! This is how an incredible fragment of a Doviking helmet was found. It has already been called "one of the most magnificent ever found in Scandinavia."
Or more precisely, this is an overlay decoration on the helmet. It is made of gilded bronze and decorated with red garnets. It is also distinguished by a skillfully engraved zoomorphic figurine. Judging by this figurine, the artifact dates back to the period between 650 and 750 AD, that is, the late Germanic Iron Age just before the dawn of the Viking Age.
Successful diggers immediately transferred the treasure to the National Museum of Denmark, which quickly documented the find. Later, it will be returned to the Leyre Museum for display.
It must be said that in those days, just around 600-700, Leyre was the royal residence, the home of the Skjeldung clan, the legendary dynasty of the first rulers of Denmark. In short, a big, rich city. This is confirmed by the ruins of the royal hall found in 1986, 60 meters long and 12 meters wide. It is said to be the largest royal hall ever discovered in Denmark. It was here that the ruler sat on a high throne and received his subjects and guests.
It seems that the helmet cover could belong to one of the king's confidants or someone from the military elite of that time. Or maybe King Skjeldung himself, who knows!
2. Historical puzzle.
A bronze treasure of the Roman Empire in the form of a puzzle was recently found in Turkey, in the province of Izmir. In total, more than 2000 fragments of the bronze statue were excavated. Perhaps even more than one. The fragments were dated to the period from the Hellenistic to the Roman Empire (III century BC - IV century AD). Now scientists have to put this puzzle together.
Previously, the ancient city of Metropolis was located with the place of discovery. Evidence of settlement on the site of Metropolis dates back to the Neolithic, and the remains of Bronze Age materials indicate the presence of the Hittites at this site in the XIV century BC and the Mycenaeans until the XII century BC. Metropolis was mentioned in his work by the geographer Strabo.
Scientists have suggested that the statues of Roman deities were smashed at a time when Christianity became the dominant religion in the lands of the empire. This is indicated by the fact that bronze was expensive, and fragments of statues could have been used for coins, but they preferred to throw them away and bury them.
3. Heritage of the RSFSR.
As you understand, it was no longer about Turkey. Here is the story of a treasure hunter. "After lunch, we slowly got to the place where we dug up the pawn a long time ago. Three bilonchiks screamed on the road, decided to circle around, and then, three meters near a huge stump, my friend squeaked! Fifty kopecks of 1922! Well, we think it flew off when the bookmark was torn off. And again a strong signal under the stump, a hand in the hollow and... A full handful of poltishes, followed by a metal box with a billon," the author wrote.
Further, I think, you know what: an uprooted stump, a pile of fallen trees, as if after a storm, a dug forest around for a kilometer. Okay, we are exaggerating, everything was fine, but the treasure hunters had a lot of adrenaline. Apparently, the treasure contained up to a hundred fifty rubles and small things from the times of the RSFSR.
4. Treasure in the basement.
In general, the stories about church cellars were justified again. True, not in Russia, but in Lithuania. In the dungeons of the Vilnius Cathedral, the royal regalia of the rulers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were found. Well, or Poland and Lithuania and even partially Russia (Galich, for example), as you prefer.
Three crowns, a scepter, an orb, rings, chains and tablets were discovered, which were hidden in a niche in the wall shortly after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. At that time, the Vilnius Cathedral was under the threat of closure, or even destruction, so the ministers began to hide the riches. The treasury was arranged in a niche on one of the stairs. It was discovered using a 3D scanner in December 2024.
The treasure was removed with all precautions later.
5. Tatar coins.
And let's talk about the Golden Horde again. Or what is left of it in the ground. And this is silver. This time the cop was in the area between the Black Sea and the Danube. There the digger found several beautiful coins. However, some of them were clearly used earlier for jewelry. Here is such a find.
