WOMAN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOUND 900-YEAR-OLD TREASURE DURING A WALK

Sat 01 June 2024:

A woman walking near the Kutnohorsk region in the Czech Republic discovered a hoard of over 2,150 silver coins dating back more than 900 years. The Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ARUP) described it as “one of the greatest finds of the last decade.”

“The [discovery was] made of coin alloy, which, in addition to silver, also contains an admixture of copper, lead, and trace metals,” the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ARUP) stated in the press release. “Determining this particular composition can also help determine the origin of the silver used.”

Some of the 900-year-old coins in plastic bags. Photo: Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

The coins, minted between 1085 and 1107, represent the largest early medieval coin collection found in the Kutnohorsk area. Lenka Mazačová, director of the Czech Silver Museum, stated the coins were likely produced in the Prague mint from silver imported to Bohemia.

Filip Velimsky, an archaeologist with the Czech Academy of Sciences, likened the discovery to winning a million-dollar jackpot due to the significant value the coins would have represented at the time.

The discovery of the treasure is one of the largest archaeological finds of the past 10 years, experts say. Photo: Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Experts believe the coins were hidden during a period of internal political instability among the Premysl dynasty over the princely throne of Prague. Originally stored in a ceramic container, only the bottom part survived over time.

According to the experts, that owner couldn’t have been just anyone. “Unfortunately, for the turn of the 11th to 12th century, we lack data on the purchasing power of contemporary coins,” he said. “But it was a huge, unimaginable – and at the same time, unavailable – amount for an ordinary person. It can be compared to winning a million in the jackpot.”

The artifacts were taken to a laboratory for further analysis and documentation, a process that will likely take a year. The artifacts will then be put on display in an exhibit expected to debut in 2025.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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