A couple discover over ₹2 crore gold coins in the kitchen during the renovation
A life-changing event occurred in a UK couple’s life when they decided to renovate their house. According to a report by The Times, a UK-based couple found 264 gold coins under the floor of their kitchen.
The stash of coins dates back more than 400 years.
The North Yorkshire couple has decided to sell these ancient gold coins, which are worth 250,000 pounds ( ₹2.3 crores).
The collection, which is reportedly more than 400 years old, will be sold through an auction, which is being handled by Spink & Son.
The surprising discovery was made when the couple lifted the floorboard of their 18th-century detached property in the village of Ellerby.
Initially, the couple thought they had hit an electric cable when they lifted the floor. But they found a stash of coins inside a metal, about the same size as a coke can buried just six inches under the concrete.
The couple has been staying in that house for the past 10 years.
When the couple inspected the stash, they found, that the coins were dated from 1610 to 1727, during the reigns of James I and Charles I.
n a separate incident, 86 gold coins were found in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district in August this year. Eight labourers allegedly stole 86 gold coins worth about ₹60 lakh found by them during the demolition of an old house in Madhya Pradesh.
The labourers then distributed the ‘ginnis’ (gold coins), which may be of archaeological importance, among themselves without informing local police following which they were arrested, Additional Superintendent of Police Devendra Patidar said.
He said the labourers found the coins while removing the debris of an old house a few days back. Following a tip-off, the police came to know that the eight labourers distributed the coins among themselves, he said.
The police arrested these labourers and seized 86 coins collectively weighing around one kilogram.
The price of those coins is about ₹60 lakh, but it may go up to ₹one crore after ascertaining their archaeological significance.
In the 1950s, a Roman necropolis (or cemetery) was found in the centre of Barcelona, hailing from the second and third centuries AD.
Tombs of two adult individuals were found in the Vila de Madrid necropolis.
The site – Plaça de la Vila de Madrid – was excavated again between 2000 and 2003, when a funerary complex of about 500 square feet was discovered. This collective grave – containing the remains or ashes of 66 individuals – was set up to bury slaves or low-income free people.
By paying a monthly fee during their lifetimes, Romans of the lowest echelons could secure decent burials. However, problems arose when relatives had to carry out obligatory ritual banquets in front of the tombs, for not everyone could celebrate the deceased as tradition dictated. For instance, according to authors like Cicero, a tomb was only considered a tomb following the sacrifice of a pig – a high-priced animal beyond the reach of slaves or most citizens.
Within the necropolis, in addition to human remains, some animal bones have also been found, confirming that the funerary rites required by law – such as banquets and offerings – were indeed carried out.
A hole was made in the graves, through which food and drink were introduced. Offerings, banquets and animal sacrifices were made to ensure the nourishment and protection of the deities and the memory of the deceased. Archaeologists have also unearthed pottery and plants inside the tombs.
In a study for the academic journal Plos One titled “Food for the soul and food for the body: studying dietary patterns and funerary meals in the Western Roman Empire,” the authors explain that “the age, sex, offerings and diet of the buried individuals show some differences… suggesting that the inequalities present in life could have also persisted in the funerary rituals.”
FONDO DE EXCAVACIONES ANTIGUAS-MHCB
The human remains found in Vila de Madrid have been subjected to carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine the diet of the buried individuals, so as to contrast it with the remains of the animals consumed during the funerary banquet. And, in addition to human remains, animal bones have also been analyzed.
The analysis has determined that 30 per cent of identified animals were pigs, 27.1 per cent bovines, 24.3 per cent goats and 10 per cent chickens. Remains of roe deer, hare, rabbit and fox were also documented.
The most frequent bones documented were scapulae, humeri, radii, ulnae, pelvis, femurs and tibias, indicating that the parts richest in meat were consumed, although they came from old animals in order to reduce the costs of the banquets.
“This is an important point, as it suggests that only animals that could not be exploited for other purposes were being slaughtered… therefore, the economic burden of slaughtering could be minimized,” notes the article in Plos One.
Women and men in Rome did not eat the same protein sources – men generally ate more meat.
“This could mean that sociocultural tastes for food were different between the sexes, or that more males than females had access to protein-rich resources perhaps due to custom, social status, wealth, or medical advice.”
Roman doctors advised “eating different types of food depending on mood.” Men, they thought, were “hot and dry,” so it was recommended that they eat “cold and wet food,” such as fish. Women, on the other hand, were “cold and wet,” so they had to eat “hot and dry food, like oats.”
In short, the study reveals that “although the offerings and banquets were stipulated by law, not everyone could afford to make sumptuous or rich offerings.
The presence of bird remains and portions rich in meat suggests that the relatives of the deceased tried to follow the law as closely as possible.” Yet, it is clear that the poor did not eat like the rich… even in death.
Padlocked, restrained female ‘vampire’ discovered in 17th-century graveyard
Archaeologists in Poland have uncovered the skeletal remains of a woman that was likely believed to have been a vampire at the time she died.
The remains of a “female vampire” have been uncovered by archaeologists at a 17th-century graveyard in Pień, Poland. Professor Dariusz Poliński and a team of researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University were conducting the dig when they discovered the skeletal remains of the woman, who had been pinned to the ground with a sickle across her throat.
The popular farming tool was commonly used by superstitious Poles in the 1600s to try and restrain a deceased person thought to be a vampire so that they would be unable to return from the dead.
“The sickle was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up… the head would have been cut off or injured,” Poliński told the Daily Mail.
The professor also noted that the dead woman had a padlock wrapped around her toe — further strengthening the theory that she was considered a vampire at the time of her death.
Sickles were commonly used by superstitious Poles in the 1600s to try and restrain a deceased person thought to be a vampire.
“The sickle was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up… the head would have been cut off or injured,” Poliński stated.
Poliński claimed the lock would have been used during the burial process to symbolize “the impossibility of returning.”
The researchers did not disclose the presumed age of the deceased but said a silk cap found on her skull indicates that she was of high social status.
According to Smithsonian magazine, residents across Eastern Europe initially became fearful of vampires in the 11th century, believing that “some people who died would claw their way out of the grave as blood-sucking monsters that terrorized the living.”
By the 17th century, “unusual burial practices became common across Poland in response to a reported outbreak of vampires,” Science Alert reported.
There is still no scholarly consensus around how people came to be classified as “vampires,” but they were often violently executed across various parts of the continent, according to Poliński.
By the 17th century, “unusual burial practices became common across Poland in response to a reported outbreak of vampires,” Science Alert reported.
The researchers did not disclose the presumed age of the deceased but said a silk cap found on her skull indicates that she was of high social status.
And, even after their deaths, their bodies were further mutilated to make sure they wouldn’t return to wreak havoc on local villagers.
“Other ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone,” Poliński stated.
The discovery of the “female vampire” in Pień — located in the south of the country — comes seven years after the remains of five other presumed vampires were unearthed in the town of Drawsko, 130 miles away.
The dig was conducted in the town of Pień, in southern Poland.
All five of those found there had similarly been buried with sickles across their throats.
Meanwhile, back in 2013, The Post reported that archaeologists had uncovered a “vampire gravesite” outside of the town of Gliwice, where multiple skeletons were found decapitated with their severed heads placed near their legs.
Carvings Discovered at Ireland’s Grange Stone Circle
An aerial view of the Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, County Limerick.
An Irish archaeological photographer has discovered a remarkable series of prehistoric carvings at the Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, County Limerick.
Ken Williams, a leading Irish archaeological photographer, has developed methods of lighting stones so that they can be photographed to maximum effect, allowing him to find a series of carvings over the past few years.
Williams was returning to check the stones at Grange Stone Circle as part of his research when he discovered the new carvings.
The new carvings are particularly spectacular due to the presence of concentric circles and arcs found on the back and sides of a stone at the north entrance passage to the prehistoric enclosure.
Dr. Elizabeth Shee Twohig, who has published extensive research on megalithic and rock art, remarked that the carvings are extremely rare for Munster and Connacht.
“The carvings are quite like those at passage tombs in the North and East of the country, such as Knowth and Newgrange, but there is only a single carved stone of this kind in Munster or Connaught,” Dr. Shee Twohig said in a statement.
“It is possible that the stone is contemporary with the banked enclosure henge at c.3000 BC and was incorporated into the circle built inside the enclosure at a slightly later date.”
The Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, County Limerick.
Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan welcomed the discovery of the carvings.
“This is a site that has both captivated and intrigued locals and visitors for many years. It shows yet again the capacity our national monuments have to surprise and engage us,” he said in a statement.
The Grange Stone Circle is the largest standing stone circle in Ireland, measuring 150 ft in diameter and enclosed by 113 stones.
The circle’s largest stone is Rannach Chruim Duibh, which weighs over 40 tons and is over 13 ft tall.
The circle comprises a ring of continuous upright stones backed by a nine-meter-wide earthen bank reaching 1.2 meters in height.
Ken Williams said he plans to publish the new carvings in an academic paper, where he will describe the art and discuss comparable examples.
Rare silver coins minted by Viking king Harald Bluetooth were found in Finland
The 12 silver coins were minted by Harald Bluetooth.
In May of 2022, Finnish metal detectorists discovered a silver cache from the Viking Age in a field in Mynämäki, a municipality of Finland located in the Southwest Finland region.
The follow-up excavations carried out by the Finnish Heritage Agency uncovered silver coins and pieces of silver jewellery.
The hoard included 12 coins minted by Viking king Harald Bluetooth. They are considered very rare, as only a couple of such coins have previously been found in Finland.
Furthermore, researchers were able to make a noteworthy discovery – the objects were brought to Mynämäki from Poland.
METAL DETECTORIST DISCOVERS TREASURE, IMMEDIATELY CALLS NATIONAL MUSEUM OFFICE
The batch of silver objects was found during a metal-detecting trip by enthusiasts of the Vakka-Suomen Metallinetsijät association.
“My hands were shaking… This was my most spectacular find so far and the first intact cache I’ve found,” metal detectorist Oskari Heikkilä said.
After stumbling upon the find, Heikkilä stopped digging, left the rest of the objects in their place, and reported his findings to the National Heritage Agency.
The following week, archaeologists visited the site to carry out trial excavations. A small excavation area was processed at the location of the find, and the rest of the silver cache was carefully lifted from the ground.
The investigations by the National Heritage Agency determined that the objects were densely concentrated, and they may have originally been left in, for example, a leather bag.
Small pieces of Iron Age pottery vessels were also found in the dark soil layer of the excavation area, which suggests that the site may have been inhabited. Mynämäki is known for many Iron Age sites and finds.
Now, the field area where the cache was found has been registered as a protected archaeological site, and metal detecting and digging will not be allowed there without the permission of the National Heritage Agency.
No further studies are currently planned.
Metal detectorists were present at the site during the expert investigations.
SILVER COINS MINTED BY HARALD BLUETOOTH
Jani Oravisjärvi, the curator of the Finnish National Museum who investigated the coins, described the find as “important and interesting.”
“I got the initial information about the discovery directly from Oskari in the field, who sent me pictures of the discovery. My eyes almost immediately fell on Harald Bluetooth’s money, and I noticed four (of his) coins in the photographs.
“I knew we were now on the verge of an important and interesting discovery. It was a great privilege to be the first to get all the discovered coins and objects on my desk,” Oravisjärvi said, according to the Agency.
As many as 12 silver coins minted by the Viking king Harald Bluetooth (911–986 CE) were eventually identified, which makes the find exceptional.
In the past, only one or two similar coins have been found in Finland. In total, about one hundred silver coins were recovered from the place where the cache was found.
The find contains money from a range of around 250 years. The majority of the coins date to the last decades of the 9th century, but none of the coins in the cache date to the 11th century with certainty.
From Pomerania to Mynämäki
The origin of money is very diverse. Along with Iraq and Central Asia, the stash includes money from England, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and Strassburg, France.
“At that time, hundreds of different mints were operating in Europe. In addition, dozens of mints operated in the Caliphate and Central Asia.
“Furthermore, at that time, money circulated completely freely, so the place where the money was minted was not as important as it is today. The most important thing was the material of the money, i.e., silver,” Oravisjärvi explained.
Based on the composition, it is very likely that the silver treasure originated in Pomerania, the area of present-day Poland. One of the fragments of the silverware is identical to the plate buckles previously found in Pomerania.
“The origin of the money can almost always be identified. The problem is that the money is often from dozens of different places, making it difficult to tell where the cache originally came from. However, in the case of this discovery, we can do that”, Oravisjärvi said.
The discovery will now become part of the Archaeological Collections of the National Heritage Agency.
Ancient roman sarcophagus found at London building site
An ancient Roman sarcophagus has been excavated from a building site in central London. The 1,600-year-old coffin found near Borough Market is thought to contain the remains of a member of the nobility.
Archaeologists have been unable to identify the body as the stone coffin has been left filled with soil after being robbed, experts believe.
The sarcophagus will now be taken to the Museum of London’s archive for analysis. The coffin was found several metres underground with its lid slid open, which indicates it was plundered by 18th-century thieves.
Experts discovered the coffin six months into the dig as they were due to finish their search
The coffin was found on Swan Street last month
Gillian King, senior planner for archaeology at Southwark Council, said she hoped the grave robbers “have left the things that were of small value to them but great value to us as archaeologists”.
The grave owner must have been “very wealthy and have had a lot of social statuses to be honoured with not just a sarcophagus, but one that was built into the walls of a mausoleum” Ms King said.
She added: “We always knew this site had the potential for a Roman cemetery, but we never knew there would be a sarcophagus.”
The location is a prime spot for historical finds
The sarcophagus will now be taken to the Museum of London’s archive for analysis
The coffin was found on Swan Street last month after the council told developers building new flats on the site to fund an archaeological dig.
Researchers discovered the coffin six months into the dig as they were due to finish their search.
Experts at the Museum of London will now test and date the bones and soil inside.
1400-Year-Old Folding Chair Found in a Woman’s Grave in Germany
Archaeologists have made a very unusual find. A Medieval folding chair has been discovered in a woman’s grave. The excavation team unearthed the chair in a woman’s grave in Steinsfeld in Central Franconia in the Ansbach district.
An approximately 1,400-year-old iron folding chair was found by archaeologists in a woman’s grave in Middle Franconia, Germany. The chair has been underground at a depth of around 6.5 feet.
Franconia lies in the north of the Free State of Bavaria, parts of Baden-Württemberg, and South Thuringia and Hesse in Germany.
It is only the second discovery of an iron folding chair from the early Middle Ages in Germany, said the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments.
A rarity: this iron folding chair was found during an excavation in Steinsfeld, Bavaria.
Across Europe, 29 sites of early medieval graves with folding chairs have been handed down, only six of which are made of iron.
According to the state office, it dates from around 600 AD, i.e., from the early Middle Ages. When folded, the chair, which was about 70 by 45 centimetres in size, had been placed at the feet of the dead.
“This find, which at first glance seems so modern, is an absolute rarity and of the greatest cultural-historical interest because it gives an insight into the burial equipment of prominent sections of the population and into the early use of furniture,” said the head of the state office, Mathias Pfeil.
People have been making iron and bronze folding chairs since ancient times.
They were considered essential official signs and symbolized power, authority, and dignity. According to the state office, they appear as grave goods in women’s graves.
Examinations of the woman’s skeleton showed she was around 40 to 50 when she died. The dead woman had a necklace of coloured glass beads around her neck.
On the belt was a fibulae hanger and a large pearl, among other things.
The millefiori pearl of the belt hanger.
In addition, the experts also uncovered a man’s grave in which they found, among other things, a belt with a bronze buckle and a complete set of weapons.
Huge dinosaur skeleton unearthed in Portuguese garden
Palaeontologists in Portugal have unearthed the fossilized skeleton of what could be the largest dinosaur ever found in Europe. The remains are thought to be those of a sauropod, a herbivorous dinosaur 12 meters (39 feet) tall and 25 meters long that roamed the Earth around 150 million years ago.
One of the sauropod’s ribs is about three metres long.
“It’s one of the biggest specimens discovered in Europe, perhaps in the world,” palaeontologist Elisabete Malafaia, from the Faculty of Sciences at Lisbon University, told AFP on Monday.
The bones were uncovered by Portuguese and Spanish scientists in the garden of a house near Pombal in central Portugal at the beginning of August.
Among the bones collected, they found the remains of a rib about three meters long, Malafaia said.
Fossil fragments were first noticed at the site in 2017 when the owner was digging up his garden to make way for an extension.
He contacted palaeontologists, who unearthed part of the dinosaur skeleton earlier this month and have been examining it ever since.
Sauropods have characteristically long necks and tails and are among the largest animals to have ever lived.
The fossils discovered at the Monte Agudo site in Pombal are thought to be those of a brachiosaurid who lived during the Upper Jurassic period.
The fact that the vertebrae and ribs were found at the same location and in the position they would have been in the dinosaur’s anatomy is “relatively rare”, Malafaia said.
The team may conduct more digs in the coming months at the site and in the surrounding area.
