University of Michigan (UM) researchers revealed in early August the discovery of a hoard of gold coins likely used to pay mercenary troops.
The stash of ancient wealth was found buried in a small pot in the ancient Greek city of Notion, which is technically in western Turkey, according to a University of Michigan press release published Aug. 4. Intricate designs on the gold depict a kneeling archer, known as a darics, typically issued by the Persian Empire after being minted in Sardis, likely around the 5th century B.C.
“The discovery of such a valuable find in a controlled archaeological excavation is very rare,” UM archaeologist Christopher Ratte said in the release. “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.”
A team of researchers led by @UMich archaeologist Christopher Ratté has uncovered a hoard of gold coins, likely used to pay mercenary troops, buried in a small pot in the ancient Greek city of Notion in western Turkey. https://t.co/swjaWk2sqU
— Michigan Research (@UMichResearch) August 5, 2024
The release says darics were minted from the late 6th century B.C. so more work is needed to ascertain the precise date on the coins. (RELATED: Carvings Found At Gobekli Tepe Might Be World’s Oldest Calendar Ever)
“This is a spectacular find … of the highest importance,” said Oxford University and former British Museum coin curator Andrew Meadows. Accurately establishing the date would allow researchers to determine the chronology of this particular gold coinage, he added.
By Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (Wikimedia)
“The hoard was found in the corner of a room in a structure buried beneath the Hellenistic house. Presumably, it was stored there for safekeeping and for some reason never recovered,” Ratte added. “According to the Greek historian Xenophon, a single daric was equivalent to a soldier’s pay for one month.”
Many darics have likely been lost to time due to looters over the centuries, who had no real understanding of their value, Ratte argued. (RELATED: ‘Whoever Breaks This Will Die’: Scientists Reportedly Uncover Chilling Ancient Artifact)
“An archaeological find without contextual information is like a person suffering from amnesia — a person without memories,” he continued, noting that the loss of knowledge is “incalculable.” Thankfully, this hoard allows scientists far more context to their history and hopefully some answers as to who left them there.
