Gold from Persia: archaeologists discovered ancient coins
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Archaeologists from the University of Michigan made an interesting discovery at the ruins of the ancient city of Notion in Türkiye. During the excavations, a pot containing Persian gold coins, which date back to about 400 BC, was found.
The hoard buried in the corner of the ancient building became a pleasant surprise for the researchers. According to archaeologist Christopher Ratté, no one expected to find gold there. However, dozens of darics (coins of the Persian Empire) were found in a small clay jug. Scientists believe that the coins were minted in the city of Sardis, located 60 miles from Notion.
In the photo: the “darics” probably got their name in honor of the Persian king Darius I. The ruler is depicted as a kneeling archer on the coins. The coins began to be minted at the end of the 6th century BCE, and their appearance remained unchanged until 330 BCE, when Alexander the Great conquered Persia.
As Christopher Ratté points out, such finds are rare in controlled archaeological excavations. Typically, hoards are hidden with the intent to return and retrieve them later. However, for some reason, these treasures remained buried for millennia.
In the 5th century BC, darics were used to pay soldiers and mercenaries. Ratté suggests that a soldier might have hidden his lifelong savings in a jug and later perished in battle. At that time, the region was in a state of constant tension, and the city of Notion frequently switched between Persian and Greek control.
In the photo: Christopher Ratté at the excavations in Notion.
Andrew Meadows, an archaeologist from the University of Oxford, calls the discovered treasures “a find of the highest importance”. As far as he knows, such treasures have not been found in Anatolia (Asia Minor) before. The discovery will help scholars to clarify the chronology of the production of gold coins of the Achaemenid Empire, as well as to deepen understanding of the political situation during the Peloponnesian War.
The discovered coins are currently on display at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk.
Finding ancient gold coins is always a great success for researchers. Alongside the Turkish discovery, an example of success can be seen in the achievements of Bulgarian archaeologists. Read about it in the article “Byzantine gold coins in Bulgaria”.
