The extraordinary treasures that archaeologists have unearthed this year

 From caches with gold and silver ritual instruments to intricate design jewelry.

The LifeScience portal analyzed all possible discoveries of 2023 related to the excavation of coins and jewelry, which prove that treasure hunting will never become obsolete.

1. Massive collection of coins from Japan

During the factory construction project north of Tokyo, workers found a buried cache containing about 100,000 coins. The find was divided into 1,060 packs and dated between 175 BC and 1265 AD. The first was produced in China and contains the Chinese inscription "Banliang", which translates as "half an ounce". To date, researchers have studied about 334 coins.

2. An underwater temple overflowing with sunken treasures in Egypt

Underwater archaeologists who explored the canal off the Mediterranean coast of Egypt found a partially collapsed underwater temple full of treasures. Further exploration of the building, which collapsed sometime in the middle of the 2nd century BC and was built for the ancient Egyptian god Amun, revealed many artifacts, including silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry and alabaster vessels.

3. "Lost" rainbow cup minted by the Celts in Germany

A 2000-year-old rainbow cup was found on the river bank in Germany. The cup-shaped gold coin contains a rare design element: a four-pointed star surrounded by arches. This is one of the three famous rainbow cups containing this motif and related to the legend that these cups are made of drops of gold that fell from the edge of the rainbow.

4. Civil War coins buried in a corn field in Kentucky.

A find of 700 coins was found by a man working on his corn field in Kentucky. Gold and silver coins, called the "Great Treasure of Kentucky," were minted between 1840 and 1863. Researchers believe that the collection was buried before the Confederate raid in the summer of 1863.

5. Golden hair ring from the Bronze Age burial in Wales

When archaeologists excavated the burial site, they also discovered a wooden comb, which is considered the oldest of its kind ever found in the UK. Both objects were left next to the 3,000-year-old cremated remains of a person who probably had a high social status.

6. Bronze Age swords and thousands of medieval coins from Germany

A group of volunteer nature activists discovered about eight thousand medieval coins and seven Bronze Age swords while working at three different sites in Germany. Archaeologists believe that weapons, which are about 3,000 years old, could have been placed there as part of a sacrifice. The coins were part of the largest Slavic mint clade of the XI century.

7. Iron Age glass workshop from the Czech Republic, litted with Celtic coins

In the Czech Republic, archaeologists have discovered the oldest known glass workshop north of the Alps. It is assumed that it could be used for ritual purposes. The 2,300-year-old workshop contained a number of ready-made glass and amber products, including beads and bracelets, as well as two thousand gold and silver coins minted by the Celts. The treasure was found near the building in which various rituals were performed.

8. Gold necklaces discovered as a result of a landslide in Spain

A landslide in northern Spain unraved two richly decorated gold necklaces that were buried about 2,500 years ago. Based on the style and technique of making jewelry, archaeologists concluded that they were made around 500 BC, during the Iron Age in Iberia, and probably were worn by the upper class.

9. A hiding chane with coins from an ancient Buddhist temple in Pakistan

Pakistani archaeologists have discovered a collection of 2,000-year-old bronze coins among the ruins of an ancient Buddhist temple known as a stupa. The treasures and sanctuary are associated with the Kushan Empire, a predominantly Buddhist state that ruled the region from about the 2nd to the 3rd century AD. Corrosion led to the fact that the coins merged into a single piece of green color, which weighs about 5.5 kilograms.

10. Copper coins hidden in a clay jug in Poland

A treasure of 1,000 copper coins buried under the top layer of soil was found on a farm field in Poland. Further excavations revealed a broken clay "sivak" - a local jug with one handle and a narrow neck, overflowing with coins minted in Warsaw of the XVII century. However, even in circulation, the coins were not of great value, and the entire stock would have been enough to buy about two pairs of shoes at that time.

Recently, archaeologists discovered a silver coin of the Prince-Baptizer of Russia in Veliky Novgorod. This is the second silver found in the history of excavations in the city.