Greetings, Fellow Past Diggers and Collectors of Shinies!
About a month ago I shared a report from my visit to the museum where one of our region's greatest ancient treasures was found. That would be in the The Golden Treasure Of Panagyurishte post.
Back then, while I was visiting, I was wondering how was a treasure such as this found in a place so rich in terms of history but in isolation. Was it the only thing found since it was the only thing advertised? My guess would have been there would be many more smaller scale findings going along with it.
My guess was right. Another structure in the same museum complex held the rest of the archaeological specimens dating back from around that period but also other periods before and after that.
Well, again, mostly Roman, Hellenic, Thracian stuff.
Sharing photos of some of the coin collections from the past:
Various alloys, cultures, designs, ages...all mixed into the legacy of that crossroads area not far from where Europe and Asia Minor touch. Not far from he center of the Balkan Peninsula at all. Not far, in terms of trade routes, from the Aegean Sea (around which the Hellenic culture thrived), the Black Sea, The Adriatic Sea (the core of the Roman Empire was across it).
I can comment no further. I am just an observer.
Then, centuries and centuries later...a millennium even, the Ottoman Empire came about and left its own coinage on thin golden (pronounced Altun) coins. Some of those have holes punctured in them since they were later used as head or dress ornaments.
Some variety, eh?
Peace and Excavation!
Yours,
Manol
