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Archaeologists uncover ancient gold coin hoard

An Iron Age hoard of gold coins has been uncovered near the village of Baitz, in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district of Germany.

The discovery was made by Wolfgang Herkt, an amateur archaeologist from the Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and the Archaeological State Museum (BLDAM), who initially found 10 coins and reported his discovery.

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Archaeologists have since found 41 coins in total, consisting of mainly gold coins, with some silver and copper examples as well.

The coins are curved in appearance and are known as “regenbogenschüsselchen,” which translates as “rainbow cups.” This type of coin dates from around 2,000 years ago and is normally associated with Celtic cultures not indigenous to the Brandenburg region.

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Image Credit : W. Herkt

Instead, the hoard was found in an ancient settlement associated with the early Germanic Jastorf culture, an Iron Age material culture that evolved out of the Nordic Bronze Age in northern Germany and Denmark from the 6th to 1st century BC.

Why the hoard was deposited is a mystery to the researchers, but the similarity of the each coin suggests that they were likely buried all at once.

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Archaeologists suggest that the find sheds light on the far-reaching networks of Iron Age Europe, with the hoard being the second largest of this type found within the Brandenburg area.

Wolfang Herkt who made the initial discovery said: “This is an exceptional find that you make only once in a lifetime. It is a good feeling to be able to contribute to the history of the country with such a find.”

Land Brandenburg

Header Image Credit : M. Pilekić

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Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
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