Sensational Discovery: Miniature Gold Box Lock from Roman Era Found
The detectorist Constantin Fried has unearthed a miniature gold box lock dating back to the Roman era in Petershagen, located on the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
According to the Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL), the lock is estimated to be from the 3rd to 4th century AD and is made of pure gold, marking it as a unique and sensational find for researchers.
The tiny lock, measuring just 1.2 by 1.1 centimeters, was examined using a neutron computed tomography scanner at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland.
This advanced imaging technique provided researchers with a detailed view of the lock’s interior. Although the external key and chain were missing from the find in Petershagen, the 3D images revealed gold rivets and links inside the lock.
Image credit: Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL)
This evidence confirms that the lock was functional approximately 1,600 years ago. Thanks to the insights gained from the CT scan, the LWL was able to create a 4:1 scale replica of the lock.
The chief archaeologist of the LWL, Michael Rind, speculates that “perhaps a member of a local elite brought this exquisite piece back as a souvenir or gift upon returning from military service in Rome,” given that similar but larger locks existed during the Roman period.
The LWL notes that many scientific questions remain unanswered. It is unclear how such an extremely small object could have been crafted without the modern tools we have today, such as artificial light or magnifying glasses.
Rind poses the question, “Was this a one-off creation, or are there similar precious miniatures that have yet to be discovered?” He emphasized that the extraordinary find from Petershagen showcases the high level of craftsmanship in provincial Roman metalworking and locksmithing.
Britain’s Hidden Treasures: The Pieces of Rare Iron Age Helmet Found at Snettisham
Thanks to advanced scientific testing, the copper alloy fragments unearthed at Snettisham, Norfolk, at one of Britain’s most significant archaeological sites have been identified as parts of a highly uncommon Iron Age helmet.
The British Museum, which had been engaged in a 15-year project to examine 14 hoards of gold, silver, and bronze torcs (stiff, twisted metal rings worn as jewelry) discovered at Snettisham, Norfolk, between 1948 and the 1990s, made this amazing discovery.
At Snettisham, near Hunstanton, on a forested hillside with a view of the northwest Norfolk coast, amazing discoveries have been made. Because so many gold and silver alloy neck rings (also known as “torcs”) and coins were found at Ken Hill, the site of the discoveries is referred to as the “gold field.” Known as the “Snettisham Treasure,” these artifacts comprise one of the greatest concentrations of Celtic art and one of the largest collections of prehistoric precious metal objects ever found.
The items were discovered in at least 14 different hoards that were interred between 150 BC and 100 AD. These hoards covered the late Iron Age and early Roman eras, with the late Iron Age seeing the most activity.
Dr. Julia Farley, the Museum’s Iron Age curator and co-editor of The Snettisham Hoards, says this item is especially unique because there are only about ten known Iron Age helmets in Britain, and each one is unique.
The study’s confirmation that Iron Age metalworkers had perfected the art of mercury gilding—applying gold to bronze using a poisonous mercury-gold amalgam—was among its most startling findings. Both the helmet and the extensive collection of torcs from the Snettisham hoards were made in this way.
Metals conservator Fleur Shearman was jigsawing the pieces together when she realised one was a nose piece (centre) for a helmet and others were its eyebrows.
“There is a reason why everyone was so surprised in that room… helmets from Iron Age pre-Roman Britain, are just vanishingly rare,” Dr Farley, who co-edited The Snettisham Hoards with Dr Jody Joy told the BBC. “ And this one is a one-off, it’s got a kind of nasal bridge which is really unusual and these little brow pieces and it’s all hammered out from incredibly thin sheet bronze, and that’s a tremendously skilled thing to be able to do. We didn’t know they could do this in Britain 2,000 years ago”.
Dr. Joy, a former European Iron Age curator at the British Museum and one of the project’s top researchers, said the helmet fragments, which were previously believed to be pieces of a vessel, were long regarded as one of the unsolved mysteries of the Snettisham Hoards.
He explained that the materials had been meticulously reconstructed by metals conservator Fleur Shearman, who had put them together like a complicated archaeological jigsaw puzzle.
Researchers believed it was probably not complete when it was put into the ground because so much was missing. Most likely, Dr. Joy thinks, it was saved for personal or sentimental reasons, and might have even been used to carry other objects (like the torcs, for example).
The torcs came in a range of sizes and were buried in 14 separate Iron Age metal hoards recovered in Norfolk.
In the fields and forests of Ken Hill, close to Snettisham, about 400 torcs have been found, and their varied sizes indicate that they can be worn as neck, arm, or bracelet rings.
The Snettisham Great Torc, one of the most intricate golden artifacts to emerge from ancient world excavations, was among the more than 60 rings that were found to be whole or nearly whole.
The British Museum, in partnership with Norwich Castle Museum, which owns a portion of the collection, began this extensive research project because the torcs had been largely left unexamined for many years.
Researchers from the British Museum were able to uncover minute details about these ringed objects, like wear patterns and polishing on areas that would have come into contact with the body or clothing, thanks to advanced scientific analysis, which included the use of electron microscopes.
The wear and tear on these valuable and valued items was significant, the researchers concluded, as it suggested they’d been worn by their owners for a long time and were prized possessions.
The team confirmed that the torcs (metal rings) were likely worn by men, women, and even younger individuals, rather than being reserved exclusively for high-status men.
Dr Farley told BBC: “Torcs are unique, individual, you wear them on your body [while] coins are mutually indistinguishable. You can give them to lots of people and they can be scattered and brought back. So the two things don’t work well together.
Our theory is these torcs are too special, too unique and too important to be melted down and turned into coins, and instead people decided to have a ceremony to bring people together and put them in the ground.”
2,000 Bronze Statue Fragments Found in Ancient Scrap Yard
Archaeologists in Izmir, Turkey have made an extraordinary discovery in the ancient city of Metropolis: Approximately 2,000 bronze statue fragments have been found in a section believed to have served as an “ancient scrap yard”.
The excavations are being carried out within the scope of the ‘Heritage to the Future Project’ of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, under the direction of Prof. Serdar Aybek, Professor of Archaeology at Dokuz Eylül University, and in cooperation with the Sabancı Foundation.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of many civilizations, from the earliest settlements in the Late Neolithic Age to the Classical Age, from the Hellenistic Age to the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, in the ancient city of Metropolis, also called the “City of Mother Goddess,” where excavations have been going on since 1990.
In the ancient city, where many monumental structures were unearthed, these fragments, uncovered in an area believed to have served as an “ancient scrap yard,” offer a unique glimpse into the cultural and religious shifts of the region during the Late Antiquity period.
Professor Serdar Aybek stated that the bronze statue fragments were found in a corner of a space referred to as an “ancient scrap yard,” where they had been broken apart for melting and stored in bulk.
Aybek explained that the findings include statue pieces from the Hellenistic period and figures from the Roman era, describing them as “extraordinary discoveries, even for our field of work. We have uncovered approximately 2,000 bronze statue fragments,” he said.
He highlighted the significance of the bronze statues being broken into pieces, noting, “The collection and recycling of statues in the Late Antiquity provide concrete evidence in Metropolis. Among the findings are parts such as heads, eyes, fingers, and sandals.”
Drawing attention to the dismantling of these statues, Aybek said, “In the Late Antiquity, as mythological beliefs were abandoned in favor of monotheistic religions and Christianity became dominant in the region, bronze statues from mythological and earlier eras were dismantled.
Although we do not yet have archaeological evidence to confirm this claim, we can suggest that a significant portion of them was repurposed for minting coins.
During that period, rather than producing new materials, bronze groups, mainly consisting of outdated or damaged statues, were broken apart by the ancient scrap yard worker and prepared for melting.”
The fragments might be from the statues built to honor the benefactors listed in the “Metropolitan Apollonios” inscription, according to Aybek, who also underlined the historical significance of bronze statues in antiquity.
What makes this discovery even more remarkable is the evidence of recycling practices that date back over a millennium.
In addition to the fragmented statues, archaeologists discovered square and rectangular bronze plates that were probably used for statue casting and repair. This implies that, at its height, Metropolis might have served as a center for the creation or repair of bronze statues.
Hidden Royal Trove of rulers of Poland and Lithuania discovered in the underground vaults of Vilnius Cathedral in Lithuania
A unique find was made in the dungeons of the Vilnius Cathedral: The royal funerals of the Polish and Lithuanian monarchs were discovered in the underground vaults of Vilnius Cathedral in Lithuania.
Found last month, the treasure includes crowns, scepters, orbs, and other regalia once intended for the tombs of 15th and 16th-century rulers.
A cache of Polish and Lithuanian royal treasures was buried in 1939, at the start of World War II. A scepter, crowns, medallions, rings, and plaques were hurriedly collected and placed in a crypt in the Vilnius Cathedral, where they would be concealed for almost nine decades.
Last December, researchers inspecting the cracks and cavities in the walls of the Lithuanian church’s vaults uncovered the handsome trove, bringing to light princely and historical artifacts that have survived centuries.
Presented to the public during a press conference earlier this week, the artifacts were described as “priceless treasures” by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of the Vilnius Archdiocese.
“These burial insignia of the monarchs of Lithuania and Poland are magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewelry. They symbolize a long-standing tradition of Lithuanian statehood and Vilnius’s role as a cultural and political center,” Grušas said.
The royal jewelry discovered at the Vilnius Cathedral.
Vidmantas Bezaras, Director of Lithuania’s Department of Cultural Heritage (KPD), called the discovery “one of the greatest in the history of today’s heritage protection,” adding, “What generations of historians and heritage enthusiasts have dreamed of has now come true.
This discovery enriches our understanding of Lithuania’s history, strengthens our sense of statehood, and allows us to present this remarkable history to visitors from around the world.”
The treasures in the stash bear the insignia of rulers including Alexander Jagiellon, King of Poland from 1501–06; and Elizabeth of Habsburg and Barbara Radziwiłł, the first and second wives of Sigismund Augustus, who reigned as king from 1548–72. Both kings were key members of the Jagiellon dynasty, which ushered in Poland’s golden age in the 16th century.
A scepter discovered at the Vilnius Cathedral.
The crowns of the king, Elizabeth, and Barbara were among the hoard, as were a host of coffin plates and votive offerings, including rings, crosses, and bishops’ insignia.
According to the Vilnius Cathedral, the set of regalia was first discovered in its basement in 1931, when a flood revealed the burial chambers of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. In September 1939, the jewelry was collected in a newspaper and placed in a niche in the staircase when war threatened the structure. Time forgot its precise location, but its existence was never forgotten.
A crown discovered at the Vilnius Cathedral.
While the regalia required a little more effort, the treasury was rediscovered in 1985. Using non-invasive techniques like georadar, thermal imaging, metal detectors, and the testimony of a witness who was there when the regalia was hidden, the Vilnius Archdiocese hired experts to look for the location, but they were unable to find it.
Unfortunately, funding was not secured for their 2023 plan to map the vaults in detail using a 3D scanner. Ultimately, an endoscopic camera was inserted through the walls’ pre-existing holes and cracks on December 16, 2024.
The long-lost royal funerary regalia was finally captured on camera after multiple unsuccessful attempts. In order to document, catalog, and relocate the items to a safe location, the wall was taken down and the items were taken out.
Drone Mapping Reveals Shockingly Huge Size of 3,000-Year-Old Caucasus Settlement
Using drone mapping, an academic from Cranfield University in the UK has revealed that Dmanisis Gora, a 3,000-year-old mountainside fortress in the Caucasus Mountains, is much larger than previously thought.
Among the first of its kind in this region of Eurasia, Dmanisis Gore, which is inside the boundaries of the Republic of Georgia, has long been regarded as a significant Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age settlement.
Dr Nathaniel Erb-Satullo, Senior Lecturer in Archaeological Science at Cranfield Forensic Institute, has been researching the site since 2018 with Dimitri Jachvliani, his co-director from the Georgian National Museum, revealing details that re-shape our understanding of the site and contribute to a global reassessment of ancient settlement growth and urbanism.
Research on the fortress – named Dmanisis Gora – began with test excavations on a fortified promontory between two deep gorges.
A subsequent visit in Autumn, when the knee-high high summer grasses had died back, revealed that the site was much larger than originally thought.
Scattered across a huge area outside the inner fortress were the remains of additional fortification walls and other stone structures. Because of its size, it was impossible to get a sense of the site as a whole from the ground, prompting the use of advanced drone technology to create aerial imagery.
Structures in the outer settlement with 1km long fortification wall visible in upper left.
“The drone took nearly 11,000 pictures, which were processed using specialized software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos,” Dr. Erb-Satullo explained.
“These datasets allowed us to identify subtle topographic features and create precise maps of fortification walls, graves, field systems, and other structures within the outer settlement.”
The drone survey showed that the fort is expansive, with its outer settlement protected by a fortification wall that stretches a kilometer long. This makes Dmanisis Gora more than 40 times the size initially estimated.
The research team used a DJI Phantom 4 RTK drone which can provide relative positional accuracy of under 2cm as well as extremely high-resolution aerial imagery.
In order to obtain a highly accurate map of human-made features, the team carefully checked each feature in the aerial imagery to confirm its identification.
The researchers merged aerial photographs with declassified Cold War–era spy satellite images to identify ancient structures from recent modifications attributable to the advent of modern farming. That gave researchers much-needed insight into which features were recent, and which were older.
It also enabled researchers to assess what areas of the ancient settlement were damaged by modern agriculture. All of those data sets were merged in Geographic Information System (GIS) software, helping to identify patterns and changes in the landscape.
Hillshade (top left) and orthophoto (top right) of fortress core, with plan of trench 2 excavations.
The massive size and defensive architecture of the site suggest that it was a major settlement in an era of evolving social and political complexity in the region.
The authors note that the data from Dmanisis Gora supports theories that pastoral mobility was still a major element of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age cultures in the Caucasus region, meaning the people remained on the move much of the time even though they constructed facilities that would suggest they were getting ready to urbanize in a major way.
The site exhibits evidence of low-intensity occupation, which may indicate seasonal use, despite the significant investment in stone architecture. This lends credence to ideas that pastoral mobility was still significant in Late Bronze and Early Iron Age societies.
This work has been funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Gerald Averay Wainwright Fund and the British Institute at Ankara.
Hagia Sophia’s Mysterious Underground Tunnels, Vaults, Tombs to Open for Visitors
The Turkish Ministry of Culture is carrying out a cleaning program aimed at opening to the public the underground spaces of the famous Hagia Sophia in İstanbul, one of the world’s famous architectural wonders.
This project includes the restoration of tunnels, vaults, corridors, and a three-room underground tomb beneath the historic structure.
These subterranean features served a variety of purposes, from ventilation to storage and even burial. They are interconnected, forming a concealed network described by experts as the “lifelines” of Hagia Sophia.
The “Hypogeum,” a three-room underground tomb four meters below the northeast façade of Hagia Sophia, is one of the most fascinating finds. It was built in the fourth century A.D. before Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century.
The existence of this particular underground structure was known since 1946, but it had been inundated with four tons of mud and sediments. With the large-scale cleaning works of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2020, rubble and mud were cleaned and its grandeur was revealed.
Over time, it underwent various modifications and was linked to other subterranean facilities through ventilation shafts, making it one of the region’s oldest architectural remnants.
Dr. Hasan Fırat Diker, of the Hagia Sophia Science Council, said they’ve studied Hagia Sophia’s underground structures for five years.
The structures surrounding Hagia Sophia are approximately one kilometer long and the cleaning is expected to last one year.
“This study is very important and valuable in the sense that both existing places can be visited, even if only a part of them, and the findings inside are dealt with sensitivity under the supervision of the Hagia Sophia Museum and those that are revealed can shed light on the history of Istanbul,” Diker said.
He adds that the sections under the arcaded courtyard are as old as Hagia Sophia, meaning they are 1,500 years old and the tomb area is believed to be older than the current structure.
Diker noted the importance of addressing both the superstructure and the infrastructure. “It is pleasing that not only the superstructure but also the infrastructure is being addressed,” he noted.
Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years
Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Herakleia in Muğla’s Milas district in western Türkiye unearthed a striking discovery from the Roman period. Mosaics with detailed depictions of animals such as crocodiles, dolphins, flamingos, and eels were found on the floor of the ancient Roman bath, which the villagers once used as a stable.
The excavations in the ancient city of Herakleia are being carried out under the direction of Prof. Dr. Zeliha Gider Büyüközer, Professor of Archaeology at Selçuk University, within the scope of the “Heritage for the Future Project” of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s.
Professor Zeliha Gider Buyukozer, head of the Latmos and Heraclea excavations shared about the excavation.
“The Roman-era bath is the best-preserved structure in the area. We excavated over 2 meters of fill and opened the bath spaces, identifying their functions and stages of use. This has provided critical archaeological data,” she said.
Among the mosaics unearthed in the frigidarium (cold room) of the baths, one of the most striking details was the design depicting six crocodiles looking at each other.
Many conjectured that the area may have once been home to crocodiles. But since crocodiles are not indigenous to this region, it is likely that the mosaic artist, who had experienced crocodiles firsthand, meticulously and meticulously depicted them.
“This suggests that the artist may have been a traveling craftsman, possibly having worked in regions where crocodiles once lived,” Büyüközer speculated.
In the tepidarium (warmth) section of the bath, flamingos were found between four dolphin figures placed in the corners and eel figures carved with red stones in the mouths of the flamingos.
Buyukozer explained the connection to the local environment: “The flamingos are birds still found in this region today. The artist depicted animals he observed in this geography, making the mosaic a reflection of the local environment.”
The meticulous rock-based bath construction contributed to the mosaics’ exceptional preservation, enabling these creative depictions of nature to endure for centuries.
An aerial view of the Roman-era bath in the ancient city of Heraclea.
The Roman bath was used for various purposes by local villagers over the years. Buyukozer noted: “At one point, the bath was used as a barn. The current owners told us they had tied their animals here. The area next to the bath is still being used as a barn.”
The discovery of the mosaics has sparked great interest among the locals, many of whom never imagined that the area held such treasures.
Turcen Aydin, a 68-year-old resident of the Kapikiri neighborhood described his reaction to the discovery.
I tied my animals here for years to protect them from the rain and cold. When I saw the mosaics and figures uncovered during the excavations, I was shocked. I never imagined something like this existed here. It turns out we have been living on top of history without knowing it.
Scientists identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world
Scientists working in the Ségognole 3 cave, located in the famous sandstone massif south of Paris have identified a unique engraving that could be the oldest three-dimensional (3D) map in the world.
A recent study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology, reveals how hunter-gatherers over 20,000 years ago shaped and adapted the cave environment to represent water flow and potentially the surrounding landscape.
Archaeologists found engravings of horses and the female human form in the cave along with the map, indicating that the site may have symbolic meaning.
The research team led by Médard Thiry and Anthony Milnes hypothesize that the set of engravings in the cave is an artificial representation of the surrounding landscape, a kind of “scale model” of the region with hydrological and geomorphological variations.
The scale model of Noisy-sur-École’s landscape is situated on the floor behind the Ségognole 3 cave. The level of detail and accuracy is astounding.
The cave’s former occupants, hunter-gatherers, created an amazing miniature depiction of the area’s hydrological and geomorphological features.
Researchers explained that the floor’s surface was masterfully engraved to manipulate water flow through accurate channels, depressions, and basins.
The specific indents of indents and inclinations in the stone represent the various hills in the area and how they correlate to the surrounding rivers, lakes, and deltas.
“The carved motifs and their relationship with natural features in the sandstone of the shelter can be compared with major geomorphological features in the surrounding landscape,” the researchers said.
World’s oldest three-dimensional map discovered in Paleolithic cave near Paris
The authors claim that the engravings on the shelter may be the earliest known three-dimensional map of a region, which differs from other representations of the era that were portable and two-dimensional.
These most recent discoveries mark the end of an investigation into the engravings in the cave that began in 2020. When Thiry and Milnes discovered that all of the water that passed through the cave’s grooves ended up in a vulva-like depression, while other depressions and fractures in the cave manipulated water to flow along other paths, they realized that the patterns in the cave had a specific meaning.
They clarified that rainwater entered through tiny surface fissures that were designed to catch precipitation directly from the wind’s push.
The carvings and natural cracks thus represent both the surrounding landscape and the female body.
“The natural geomorphological characteristics of the Ségognole 3 shelter thus provided appropriate disposition to imprint this fragmented representation of femininity, a theme that shows clear importance during the Upper Palaeolithic,” the researchers said in a paper about the cave.
In addition to their skill at hunting and gathering, Paleolithic hunter-gatherers also demonstrated a deep awareness of their surroundings and the capacity to abstract and use them in practical ways, as evidenced by the discovery at Ségognole 3.
