An ancient Greek city in modern-day western Turkey was the setting for the finding of gold coins dating back thousands of years.
Researchers led by University of Michigan archaeologist Christopher Ratté discovered a hoard of gold coins in a small pot buried in the city of Notion. The team dated the ancient coins to the fifth century B.C., according to a news release on Aug. 4.
Discovery in Notion
Excavations of Notion began in 2022, with the gold coins being discovered the following year. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently gave their permission for the discovery to be made public.
Insight into Ancient Coins
The discovered gold coins display a kneeling archer, which is a “characteristic design of the Persian daric,” per the news release. This type of gold coin was one distributed by the Persian Empire, likely produced at Sardis, a location about 60 miles northeast of the ancient Greek city, according to Ratté, who is also director of the Notion Archaeological Project, the group responsible for the coins’ discovery.
Chronological Order
The slight changes between coins are paramount to putting the coins in chronological order. The coins found in modern-day Turkey can be dated based on other artifacts that were found along with them, which included fragments of pottery.
“This hoard will provide a firm date that can serve as an anchor to help fix the chronology of the entire sequence of coins,” Ratté said, per the news release.
Historical Context
Findings such as this one help historians gain a better grasp on the chronological timeline of the Persian daric and more about its history. Sometimes, looters get to the ancient treasure first, as was the case in the Turkish region of Kazakhstan.
Valuable Discovery
Luckily, the discovery of the gold coins provided a lot of valuable information to researchers, shedding light on the use of such coins as a means to pay mercenary troops.
Possible Scenarios
The exact series of events that led to the hoard of coins being left behind by its owner is unknown. Military conflict is one theory that could explain why the coins were never retrieved, pointing to events such as the conflicts between Athens and Sparta.
Further Study
As of now, the coins are being further studied at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Turkey.
