Mysteriöse Entdeckungen, die Wissenschaftler noch immer nicht erklären können | Monatsbeste

There is by no means an optimal time to go in search of archaeological masterpieces. Every year, new discoveries come to light all around the globe. It is a huge task to keep up with all these finds, but we make this task easier by bundling them in videos full of sensational archaeological discoveries, like this one here. In Romania's Dobruča region, archaeologists have excavated a grave hill that dates back about 2,000 years. Despite centuries of intensive groundwork, geophysical studies have determined an original diameter of up to about 107 meters. The central grave was originally a pit covered with wooden planks, in which the deceased was burned in a wooden structure. Charred walnut seeds, pine cones and plant remains were discovered, which were common in early Roman burial cemeteries. The hill was plundered. Grave robbers placed a wolf skull on stones to seal the robbery. Experts suspect that this was probably a symbolic attempt to prevent the spirit of the deceased from seeking revenge. The robbery was attributed to the guitar tribe. Another burial in the hill contained a skeleton in another wooden structure, accompanied by a glass ugartarium and a bronze coin from the time of Hadrian, which was placed in the mouth of the deceased. The placement of the coin refers to the ancient use of the obolus, which symbolizes the payment for the soul journey across the river Styx into the Hades. These discoveries offer valuable insights into ancient burial practices and beliefs. In northwestern China, in the province of Zhangzhou, the archaeological site Jiaojia has unearthed a lot of significant artifacts from the late Zhang dynasty, dating between 1600 and 1046 BC. This excavation uncovered a total of nine high-ranking graves and thus provided insights into the political and geographical range of this ancient civilization. The city, which encompasses eleven hills on the lowest plateau, reveals the extensive remains of stamped clay buildings, aristocratic graves, small cemeteries and references to copper-mining workshops. The grave documents found in these graves are of extraordinary value. The discoveries include bronze carriages and horse stables, bronze jewellery with turquoise inlays, bones decorated with animal motifs and decorated with turquoise, golden earrings, copper arrowheads and axes, as well as artfully crafted lacquerware. The grave, which contains the riding equipment, is of particular importance, as it is the first late-Qiang-era battle carriage and horse grave discovered in the region. The finds underline the political structure and the territorial extent of the Zhang dynasty in the region. It is particularly remarkable that there are bronze battle carriages and horse stables, jade pieces, bone artefacts, lacquerware and turtle tanks, which resemble those found in the ancient city of Yan, the capital of the Zhang dynasty. This provides convincing evidence for close commercial and cultural links between the people of the Los Plateau and those who reside about 560 km eastward in the central plains and indicates a closer relationship than previously assumed. In London, England, the remains of an unusually well-preserved Roman mausoleum, which is considered the most intact ever found in Great Britain, were excavated by a team from the Museum of London Archaeology. The find took place near the London Bridge in Southwark during the excavation work for a new multifunctional construction project. The walls of the mausoleum were dismantled in the Middle Ages, but the foundations and the interior floor remained intact. The once imposing building had large corner pillars, which probably supported a second floor. The intact entrances are still present. The mausoleum does not contain any human remains, but has a Roman mosaic floor, surrounded by an elevated platform on which the deceased were originally buried. The archaeologists found a second mosaic under the first, which indicates that the floor was elevated and the mosaic was relocated at a later time. Both mosaics share a central flower motif and concentric circles. The mausoleum may have belonged to wealthy members of the Roman society and may have served as a family cemetery or as a funeral home. Artifacts found nearby include coins, metal fragments, clay shards and roof tiles. In addition to more than 80 Roman remains in the area. In the course of the excavation work for the railway project Ostlenken in Tüstberga, Sweden, archaeologists of the Uppdrag Archeologi have discovered a Phallic stone, a rare find in the Swedish Viking period context. The 60 cm high stone was found centrally in the stone structure of a tomb hill, in close proximity to an egg-shaped tombstone. Similar phallic symbols were found in Norway, but their presence in Sweden is unusual. In Norse mythology, phallic symbols were associated with gods such as Freyr and Heimdall and stand for fertility as well as cultural implications that are linked to male sexuality and pleasure. The artfully carved stone has a flat base and bends at an angle of 60 degrees, while its top is decorated with jagged lines, which represent the phallic symbol. Rebecca Jonsson, an archaeologist at Uppdrag Archeologi, noticed the distinctive features of the stone and its obvious significance, but she had never seen such a stone in her professional career in Sweden. While the ancient Romans famously wore phallic symbols as lucky charms, the Vikings apparently interpreted and used the symbol differently. This shows that we still have a lot to learn about the Vikings in Scandinavia. Scientists are preparing to excavate a shipwreck known as Zambratia from the waters off the coast of Croatia to further investigate it. The excellently preserved ship, which is estimated to be around 3,000 years old and dates from the 12th to 10th century BC, is considered the oldest fully hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean. With an approximate length of almost 12 meters, of which a remarkable 7 meters are exceptionally well preserved, the boat was constructed using flexible fibres to carefully sew pieces of wood together, a technique that was used before the emergence of metal connections. The Zambratia boat is a rare specimen of the ancient shipbuilding tradition of Istria and Dalmatia, characterized by unique architecture, assembly techniques and a special sealing system. After its discovery in 2014, a team of divers will remove parts of the boat on 2 July 2023 to allow scientists to reconstruct it in three dimensions. The fibres used for the seam as well as the woodworking techniques are analyzed and the boat is restored in France. The goal is to exhibit the fully restored vessel in a museum in Pula, Croatia, and thus to present the maritime heritage of Istria. According to a study published in the Journal of Scientific Reports in June 2023, a research team, including a professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University, discovered rare prehistoric bird bone instruments dating back over 12,000 years. These finds were made on the Ain Malaha site in northern Israel. Seven flutes, known as aerophones, belong to the culture of the Natuvia, a group of hunters and collectors who lived between 13,000 BC and 9,700 BC. Professor Tal Simons, head of research at the VCU, identified a total of 1,112 bones belonging to 59 bird species at the site, thus providing information about the species found there and the time of their settlement. These bone flutes are the first of their kind to be discovered in the Middle East. Some of them are completely intact and able to produce bird-like sounds that resemble the calls of birds of prey. The researchers postulate that the aerophones could have been used for different purposes, such as hunting, communication, or even for spiritual practices. Their discovery provides valuable insights into the role of music in the culture of the Natuvia and their relationship to birds of prey. The aerophones are currently in the zoological collections of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Archaeologists have made a phenomenal discovery in northwestern China. They have excavated an artfully crafted leather saddle, which is possibly the oldest of its kind ever found. The saddle was discovered in the grave of a woman in Yanghai, which is located in the autonomous Uyghur region of Xinjiang, and is dated back about 2,700 years. It is assumed that the saddle was made between 724 and 396 BC, using two cowhide pillows, which were filled with a mixture of straw, deer and camel hair. This find suggests that the history of saddle production may have begun earlier than previously assumed. What makes this discovery even more fascinating is that it possibly surpasses the most famous saddles of the Scythians, nomadic riders from the western and central Eurasian steppes, in terms of time. While the earliest known Scythian saddles probably date from the 5th to 3rd century BC, this newly discovered saddle could even be older. The graves of Yanghai, where the saddle was found, are associated with the Zubayshi culture, which inhabited the area of the Turpan basin around 3,000 years ago. The position of the saddle in the grave, on which the woman apparently sat, indicates that she was a rider. This find questions traditional narratives that associate riding with elitist male warriors and provides evidence for the participation of women in the everyday activities of the ridden herdsmen. A mass grave, in which the remains of an estimated 450 individuals rest, who were suspected of their contemporaries of vampirism, was excavated in the village of Lucino in Poland. The cemetery, which was discovered by street workers near a cemetery from the 19th century, reveals a macabre practice that was once used in the region to prevent the resurrection of the undead. Every corpse in the grave was beheaded, the skull placed between the legs and a coin placed in the mouth. The archaeologist Maciej Stromski explains that these actions were carried out by the living as a reaction to the local belief in vampires. It was assumed that beheading would prevent the return of the dead, while the coin was seen in the mouth as a means to neutralize the alleged vampire curse. Although the exact details of the alleged curse of the time have fallen home, additional rituals, such as placing bricks near the corpses, were used as spiritual barriers to keep the undead in their graves. Even if one might have tried to believe that such superstitions had been eradicated centuries ago, this is convincing evidence that the belief in the walking undead was still widespread in some parts of Europe about 200 years ago. At another point in Europe, archaeologists in East Germany made an important discovery on the archaeological site of Stöth in Stöth-Waffjörður. They found a sandstone carving that represents a Viking ship and is possibly the oldest representation ever found in Iceland. The stone was found in the wall of an older hut on the site, which probably existed before the permanent settlement of the island. Representations of ships are common in Nordic countries, but this is the first drawing of a ship that was found in Iceland and is probably the oldest representation of this type in the country. The excavations in Stöth began in 2015 and focused on a so-called settlement age longhouse. The longhouse on the site is one of the largest found in Iceland and measures 31.4 meters in length. It is also the most productive longhouse ever discovered in Iceland, as numerous pearls, silver objects and even Roman and Near Eastern coins were found. The existence of an even older longhouse, under the structure from the settlement age, leads to a seasonal hunting camp, which was possibly operated by a Norwegian captain, who organized expeditions to Iceland to gain valuable resources. Further investigations on the site with measuring equipment revealed additional structures and boat stowage, which further increased the significance of Stöth. Archaeologists at the University of Alicante in Spain made a fascinating discovery during their excavations in the Tosal de la Cala, a Roman fortress in Benidorm. They came across a 2,000-year-old rock inscription, known as a sculpture, which shows three artistic representations. A human antler, a full horn and a phallus. The engraving, which measures about 55.88 x 34 cm, seems to be incomplete, as a section is missing in the upper right corner. The determination of the engraving remains uncertain. However, it could have served as graffiti or have ritual significance. The representation of a phallus suggests that it may have been a protective spell, as the Romans associated the phallus with masculine generative power and believed that it brought security and happiness. Phallic symbols were often used in the Roman Empire to ward off evil, especially to protect young boys or to ward off the evil eye. The presence of a full horn in the engraving suggests that the antler may have represented a deity, associated with harvest, prosperity or spiritual fulfillment, as can be seen in Roman reliefs and coins. We can only speculate about the reason why the engraving remained incomplete. In March 2023, a hoard of 17th-century Lithuanian coins was found on the outskirts of Zaniówka in Poland. The hoard was discovered by Michael Lothis, who searched a field with a metal detector to find lost mechanical agra parts. He came across some loose coins and a ceramic jug, which was filled with more coins. Lothis informed the Provincial Office for Monument Protection in Lublin, which he had to do legally, as unauthorized spying in Poland is illegal. Archaeologists were sent to the site and found that the hoard had been intentionally buried in a layer of the subsoil. The hoard contained about 1,000 coins, mainly Lithuanian crowns and scythes, and most of them were found in a traditional Polish sea-walk vase. The jug and contents weighed about 92.15 kilograms. These coins were shaped at a time when Poland and Lithuania were united in the Polish-Lithuanian Union, a multi-ethnic community with a population of more than 12 million people. The hoard is now completely excavated and analyzed in the Archaeological Institute of the Museum of South Potlasi in Biały Potlaska. The Japanese word haniwa is a circle made of clay and is used to describe a specific type of terracotta cylinder sculpture that the ancient inhabitants of Japan liked to make between the 3rd and 6th centuries. Haniwa was mainly used to mark the borders of Japanese cemeteries that were reserved for the elite of Japanese society. Haniwa was rarely made of wood instead of clay. In December 2022, the discovery of a gigantic wooden haniwa under the tombs of the Motsu-Faruichi-Kofun group in the west of the country was confirmed. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a height of slightly over 33.5 meters, this is the largest ever found wooden haniwa in Japan. The artifact was discovered during archaeological excavations of a former water mine around the Minegazuka-Kofun Mausoleum, which was built in the 5th century. It consists of koyamaki, a special type of Japanese pine, which was highly popular with the influential people of this era. This suggests that the grave's occupant had a high social status and was possibly even a ruler, if unfortunately no traces of his name could be found. The hair removal was already a popular practice among the old Romans, as the philosopher Seneca documented in the 1st century. The Romans used instruments that resembled modern tweezers to keep their bodies hair-free. Currently, 50 pairs of these ancient tweezers, together with other care instruments, are exhibited in a museum in Roxeter, which was founded during the time of Roman Britain. The tweezers dated between the 2nd and 5th centuries were a safe, simple and affordable method of hair removal, if not pain-free. Various individuals in the Roman Empire practiced hair removal for different reasons. Women, for example, to appear attractive to men, while men were often stripped of their hair for aesthetic reasons. Roman ringmakers and Greco-Roman grapplers, for example, were almost always hairless. Roxeter, once the fourth-largest settlement in Roman Britain, has produced numerous tweezers during archaeological excavations, which underline the importance of cleanliness and style as status symbols in Roman society. The exhibition also presents artifacts such as water pipes, cosmetics sets, perfume bottles and other significant objects, which offer insights into everyday life in ancient Rome. We start with the news that archaeologists in Nördlingen, West Bavaria, have discovered an unusually well-preserved sword from the late 14th century BC, i.e. the Middle Bronze Age. The octagonal bronze handle of the sword is in remarkably good condition and has retained its original shine. This find is extremely rare, as it was discovered in an intact grave hill, a context that is unusual for this era. Most of the hills from this time were either plundered long before or destroyed by expanding agriculture or industrial activities in the 19th century. The sword was found next to the skeletal remains of an adult man, an adult woman and a teenager, but their exact relationship is unknown. The octagonal handle was made by a complex casting process and shows elaborate, cut geometric patterns and inserts. Octagonal handles are almost exclusively found in southern Germany and the region of northern Germany, South Denmark. The comparison of casting and decoration techniques shows the presence of replicas of southern German originals as well as of imported swords, which were potentially made by wandering blacksmiths. It may have been a weapon of war, but it is a beautiful one. We now return to the topic of ancient Roman discoveries. Archaeologists in the French city of Terroin have excavated a well-preserved Roman craft quarter near a canal. This city corresponds to a once flourishing craft area, which existed over 1,700 years ago during the early imperial period. Excavations supported numerous pairs of leather shoes with nailed soles, thus proving the existence of a shoemaker in this area. In addition, leather remains suggest that an unfinished shoe factory was located here. The reasons for their incompleteness are unclear, although there were obviously enough shoes for sale. Bones of cattle were also found in the canal, which indicates a nearby butcher shop. Archaeologists continued to discover a building with ovens as well as two blue glass cylinders that suggest the existence of a glassblower. Ruins of another canal road and another unidentified large structure were also discovered in the area. This find marks the first ancient canal system found in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The remarkable preservation of the craft quarter provides valuable insights into the Roman trade and craft practices of the time. A broken marble statue of the Greek god Pan was discovered in the midst of the ruins of an early Christian church in Istanbul. The statue, which depicts Pan with goat horns and a naked upper body, as he plays on a pipe, was found in the rubble of the Church of the Holy Polyoctos from the 6th century, one of the largest in Constantinople. Although it is unlikely that a Christian church would have housed a statue of a pagan god, it is assumed that the site of the find is the result of a modern error. The ruins were accidentally uncovered by workers in the 90s of the 20th century, who were building a nearby road. The used rubble probably contained the statue and thus integrated the ancient artifact into a modern context. The statue is seriously damaged, possibly as a result of this process. Only the head, upper body and arm are preserved. However, its significance as a work of classical art is still evident. Pan, the god of wilderness and nature, was known for his play on the pan flute and is often depicted as a mythical faun. The import of classical sculptures to Constantinople began in the 6th century, when Christian culture gained significance. Now we go to France, more precisely to Normandy. The city of Caen and the department of Calvados have jointly acquired the manifesto that Charlotte Corday wrote during the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat. The manuscript, whose value was estimated at around 100,000 US dollars, exceeded expectations at the auction and received a final price of 292,000 US dollars, including taxes and taxes. Charlotte Corday, born in Normandy, was inspired by the philosophical debates of the French revolutionaries and took to the side of the moderate Girondists. Inspired by the September Massacre of 1792, she believed that the assassination of Marat would put an end to the revolutionary bloodshed in France. Armed with a knife and her three-sided manifesto to the French friends of law and peace, she traveled to Paris on July 13 of the same year. There she managed to obtain access to Marat's remains, to which she gave the name of the alleged conspirator and killed him. Aware of the consequences, Corday carried the letter with her, which was found during her arrest, but was not used as evidence during her trial. She was executed four days after Marat. The manifesto reappeared at an auction in 1834 and since then has changed its owner several times. Fearing a possible acquisition by a foreign buyer, the cultural authorities of Normandy, together with departments and city authorities, have successfully secured the manuscript to preserve its historical significance and connection to Corday's homeland. In the province of Jiangsu in eastern China, archaeologists made a fascinating discovery. A unique potter's work in the form of a pig, which is probably a children's toy and dates back about 6,000 years. The potter's pig was found at excavations at the Mahan relics, a Neolithic town in the city of Wuxi. The excavation site resulted in a total of 26 excavations, of which 20 have already been excavated, and various artifacts such as stone objects, potter's goods and jade goods have been preserved to this day. The remaining six excavations were transferred to a cabinet laboratory for further investigations. The recently discovered potter's pig, about the size of a child's fist, is characterized by its hollow body with several holes and the potter's pearls inside. While pig-shaped potter's figures have been found in other prehistoric cities, the hollow shape of this special pig is unparalleled. Researchers speculate that pigs could have been domesticated in the area 6,000 years ago. Further investigations are underway to determine whether this porous pig can be blown like a pipe. The excavation site has found over 260 artifacts, including stone, potter's goods and jade goods, spanning several dynasties in Chinese history. A 15 cm long stone phallus was discovered in ancient ruins in Spain and was said to have played a violent role during the Irmandino War. The relic was found near the Torre de Meyra, a tower that was destroyed by the nobility during the peasant uprising in 1476. Archaeologists at the Arbore Aqueoloxia identified the stone phallus as a wedge stone that served to sharpen weapons, based on the clear use pattern on one side. One could say that this phallus symbol really had to be hit. Its proximity to the destroyed tower plays a potential symbolic or practical role during the war. The artifact embodies the association between violence, weapons and masculinity, reflecting the beliefs of the Middle Ages and their persistent presence in contemporary culture. The discovery took place near the Ria de Vigo Estuaries, a region rich in archaeological finds spanning various historical periods. Although rarely in the medieval European context, phallic symbols have been found in ancient Roman cities, where they fulfilled various functions, from abominable expressions to protective amulets and fertility symbols. Celtic societies also worshipped phallic symbols as representations of wit and generative ability. Over 2,000 undamaged votive figures were found in the sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone on Kythnos, a Greek island that surrounded for seven centuries. Believers deposited these votive figures, depicting women, children, actors, animals and various other motifs, along with hundreds of lamps, miniature vases, jewellery and vessels made of marble, alabaster, copper, silver, bones and glass. Kythnos, one of the oldest settlements on the Cyclades, was inhabited from the 12th century BC to the 7th century. The sanctuary complex was located on the northern part of the plateau, with a view of the sea, and was built in stages, beginning in the 7th century BC and continuing until the 4th century. One of the finds was a monumental plate, which was possibly moved from its original location. The inscription, which dates back to late Hellenistic times, bears the name of a magistrate, probably an official of the sanctuary. The excavation also included imported luxury ceramics, artificial lamps and fragments of ritual vases, which are related to the veneration of Demeter and Persephone. The connection between the Kythnos city and Eleusis, one of the prominent religious centres of ancient Greece, is not fully understood. The UN's assistance in uncovering the secrets of ancient Osaka is a remarkable wooden mask, from the early 3rd century, from the ruins of Nishi-Iwata in Japan. A true rarity is only the third mask of this kind, ever discovered in the country. It was discovered during an excavation for the planned extension of the Osaka monorail. The unusual state of preservation of the mask is due to the water-soaked terrain in which it sank centuries ago. Made from a single piece of cedar wood, the mask has complex eyes and mouth openings as well as a pronounced nose projection. Although it would have been too difficult to wear, it is assumed that it played a ceremonial role during festivals. The renowned expert Kaoru Terasawa suggests that it symbolizes the divine spirit of a head, a concept that is difficult to translate from Japanese, but means that it represented the authority of the Yamato rule. This extraordinary artifact now occupies a central position in the Prefecture Museum of Yayoi Culture in Izumi City. The mask was first exhibited in early May 2023, but will probably not stay there for long. Hungarian archaeologists have recently made the sensational discovery of a Roman doctor's grave, which includes a rare collection of surgical tools, dating back almost two millennia. The ancient tomb was discovered near the city of Jasperani, about 80 km from Budapest. According to experts, the grave has been untouched for over 2,000 years and contains the remains of a 50- to 60-year-old Roman doctor. The doctor's skeletal remains were found next to wooden boxes that contained an extraordinary collection of his medical instruments, including copper scalpels with interchangeable blades, pliers, needles and a second set of scalpels. A grinding stone was also discovered, which could have been used for the preparation of medicines or sharpening the numerous blades of the doctor. This remarkable collection is only the second complete set of similar ancient Roman medical tools that have ever been found, but it is not known what everything says, what you have to know about their rarity and their value. The discovery offers a rare insight into the medical practices of the ancient Romans, and it is assumed that this special collection could have been used in the service of the Roman legions or for the treatment of prominent people in the local population. Hadriansval is one of the most famous ancient Roman monuments on English soil. Not far from Hadriansval and Carlisle are the ruins of an ancient Roman bathhouse, which was discovered by archaeologists in 2017, but was only fully excavated in 2022. The process was complex, as part of the bathhouse lies under the grounds of the Carlisle Cricket Club. In addition to the expected finds such as terracotta water pipes, a hypocaust system, painted vessels and cooking pots, the team also found exquisitely decorated jewels. It is assumed that these jewels were made from rings or necklaces that the bathing Romans wore here when the hot water released the adhesive that held them. They were then rinsed through the drain pipes when the basins were cleaned. Such jewels are known as intaglii. The ones found here either date back to the 2nd or 3rd century. Given the excellent craftsmanship, it is clear that the users of the bathhouse were wealthy, which could explain why they did not try to retrieve their lost jewels. In January 2023, archaeologists in Italy confirmed the discovery of a marble statue depicting a figure resembling Hercules, but not necessarily Hercules. The find was made at the Via Appia Antica, the oldest of the streets leading away from Rome. The figure in the statue wears a lion's fur, whose head sits on it like a hat, and whose paws are tied around his neck like a scarf. This agrees with other Roman depictions of Hercules, but the facial features of the statue do not correspond to those of other Roman Hercules statues. In the words of a historian who looked at the artifact, it resembles a statue of a man dressed in a Hercules costume. The tomb of Priscilla, which dates back to the late 1st century, is located very close to this part of the Via Appia Antica. There could be a connection between the statue and the temple, but the experts are not yet clear about this. However, they suspect that they could know the identity of the man represented by the statue. There is a similarity between the face of this statue and the faces of statues of Trajendesius, who became emperor in 249, but lost his life in the Battle of Abadies two years later. On May 25, 1938, workers in Paris, during the demolition of a building in the Rue Mouffetard, came across a valuable treasure of gold coins, which dates back to the reign of Louis XIV. The coins hidden in a wall belonged to Louis Nivelle, a royal secretary and advisor. The treasure consisted of 3,210 Louis d'Or, 258 double Louis d'Or and 87 demi-Louis d'Or au bandeau et aux lunettes, between 1726 and 1756. Nivelle, who led a double life, was known for his participation in mystical practices and was associated with the Jansenite deacon François de Paris. It is assumed that he hid his wealth in the walls of an apartment near the cemetery of Saint-Médard, a place allegedly used for secret meetings, where mysterious actions were referred to as religious fights. The treasure was legally declared and, among the discoverers, the city of Paris and 84 certified heirs of Anne Nivelle, the daughter of Louis Nivelle, were divided. Several sales of the coins were organized and today they are recognized worldwide and attract the interest of numerous numismatists. On January 21, 2023, the metal detector user Wukasz Jabłonski made a remarkable discovery near Turowin in eastern Poland. In search of artifacts from the First World War, he discovered a treasure of bronze jewelry, which was probably made by the Lusatian culture between 500 and 400 BC. This find is particularly significant, as Lusatian artifacts in this region of Poland are extremely rare. The treasure includes 13 bronze pieces, which were found between 20 and 25 cm below the earth's surface. Among them are two striking coat clips, one with a length of 15 cm and a diameter of 7 cm at its spiral end and an even larger one with a length of 16 cm and a smaller diameter of 3 cm. An artfully wound necklace made of a single bronze wire shows advanced metallurgical skills. The treasure also includes eight bracelets of different designs and sizes. Jabłonski reported his find to the Monument Protection Agency in Zamość and handed over the objects, which marks him as a responsible citizen. The treasure is currently being conserved and examined in the Biogoraj Museum of the Region. Until the middle of 2023, the exact location of the find will not be released in order to avoid looting while the archaeological excavations continue. The Golden Madonna of Essen, a sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, is an important work of art in the treasure trove of the Essen Cathedral in Germany. It was created around 980 and is considered the oldest known marine statue as well as the oldest existing medieval sculpture north of the Alps. Made from a wooden core and covered with extremely thin gold leaves, it is assumed that it was carved in Cologne or Hildesheim. The Madonna is depicted sitting on a chalice. On her lap she holds an incomparably large figure of the Child Jesus. The sculpture measures a height of 0.37 m, while the base has a width of 0.22.5 m. The entire surface of the work is covered with gold leaves of less than 0.2 mm thick, which are fixed with tiny gold screws. The Golden Madonna has always been an object of reverence and an identity symbol for the population of the Ruhr area. It survived various historical events, including the two world wars, and has undergone several restoration attempts without losing respect and admiration. The Jörningham wine cooler is an outstanding masterpiece of goldsmith art from the 18th century, commissioned between 1734 and 1735 by Henry Jörningen, a London goldsmith and banker. The goal of the production was to create the largest ever made vessel for wine made of silver. Designed by sculptor John Michael Reisbrack, the wine cooler shows Bacchic scenes, lurking panthers and ducks in the shape of Saturn. The renowned goldsmith Charles Candler and a team of craftsmen needed four years to complete the impressive object, which weighed approximately 227 kg. However, when the final bill was presented, Jörningen's client, Lyttelton Points Maynell, refused to compare them. As a result, Jörningen awarded the wine cooler as a lottery prize in 1737. The winner, Mayor William Bartine, presented the work of art to the Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia in 1738. Since 1743, the wine cooler has been in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. In 1884, a galvanoplastic copy of the wine cooler made mainly of silver with a copper core was made by the Elkington & Company in Birmingham. This replica is now on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, while other copies can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and in the Queen's Regimental Silverware in England. In 2015, an amateur metal detector discovered a remarkable seal of gold and jaspers near Abwell in Banburyshire, England. This tiny object, whose size can be compared to a thumbnail, was classified as a treasure and was then purchased for the public for the price of 25,000 pounds sterling. The seal, a gem of medieval goldsmithing, depicts a centrally encased plate of dark green jaspers with the artfully carved profile of a lady. The surrounding gold frame bears a Latin inscription that can be translated as the secret seal of Henn, possibly an abbreviation for Henry. It is suspected that the work of art was made in Paris or London. On the back of the seal is a gold loop attached to a chain or worn on a belt. The seal embodies the opulent social status and the power of its original owner, which is unfortunately still unknown. The museum service of Oxfordshire, which is now in possession of the object, plans to hold a afternoon with lectures and activities to celebrate it. Subsequently, the seal is exhibited in the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock. The legend of the lost treasure of Montezuma, which is said to be worth billions in today's currency, has fascinated treasure seekers for centuries. The story begins in the year 1519, when the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Montezuma II, the ninth Aztec emperor, was first welcomed by the Spaniards, but tensions soon escalated. In May 1520, during the Toxcatl festival, Spanish soldiers carried out a massacre of hundreds of unarmed Aztec nobles and warriors. The Spaniards captured Montezuma and held him in custody, a regrettable mistake that caused the Aztecs to rebel. In July of the same year, the Spaniards tried to flee and allegedly threw their stolen gold, silver and precious stones into the waters around the bridge to reduce the weight. This event was known as La Noche Triste, the sad night. There are theories that say that the Aztecs hid the treasure in a secret place. Some believe that it was brought north to the United States today. In 1981, a gold bar from Montezuma's time was found in Mexico, which suggests that the treasure may still be in Mexico. Despite the lack of concrete clues, the search for Montezuma's lost treasure continues. A pomegranate ring, which is almost 2,000 years old and has its origin in ancient Rome, which dates back to the first Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, was first seen when it was sold at a jewellery auction in England. Originally taxed at a selling price of between 175 and 230 euros, the ring exceeded all expectations and was auctioned for an amazing sum of 135,000 euros. This exorbitant price is almost 700 times higher than the originally estimated value. The ring refers to a masterfully engraved intaglio or a metal that was used to seal official documents. It is assumed that the ring was acquired during a grand tour in the 19th century to Italy, a cultural journey among the elite at the time. The intaglio pomegranate, which depicts Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, has historical significance because it symbolizes an era in which the Roman Empire dominated for more than a millennium. The extraordinary craftsmanship and the historical value of this ancient artefact contributed to its remarkable sale and attracted both collectors and enthusiasts. In 1981, Berto Morales, a Filipino worker, stumbled while working on a state irrigation project literally about an invaluable treasure. As part of his everyday activities, he excavated over 100 golden artefacts assigned to the Kingdom of Butuan, a civilization that flourished on the island of Mindanao between the 10th and 13th centuries. Currently exhibited in the Ayala Museum and in the Philippine Central Bank, these artefacts, which include bracelets, vases, necklaces and other ornaments, gave an insight into a prosperous, educated and seafaring civilization that existed centuries before the Spanish colonial era. Nevertheless, the discovery was also harmful for Morales. His family was kidnapped and he had to flee the island and change his identity, whereupon he sold the artefacts, which proved to be more problematic than valuable. These objects were illegally distributed among various distributors and ended up on the black market. However, many of them ended up in the hands of collectors who recognized their inherent value. Today, these artefacts represent not only the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines, but also offer a promising basis for future studies and the understanding of this ancient civilization. In relation to the golden treasures mentioned in this video, we draw our attention to the Xur-Essef armor, named after its discovery in a Punic-era tomb near Xur-Essef in Tunisia in 1909. Although at first glance it may seem only decorative, it is actually part of an armor, more precisely, a chest armor. Experts estimate that the artefact is about 2,300 years old and suspect that it was made by the Italian inhabitants of southern Italy. The most plausible explanation for its discovery in Tunisia is that it may have belonged to a high-ranking warrior who served under Hannibal during the Second Punic War, which took place between 211 and 203 B.C. It should be pointed out that not all experts or historians agree with this interpretation. This disagreement is partly due to the fact that the grave in which it was found is typical for the Tunisia of that era, which suggests that the person buried there was not a foreigner. Besides, some of the other artefacts found in the grave date from the time before the First Punic War, perhaps even before the Second. The only consensus among experts regarding the Xur-Essef armor seems to be its indisputable beauty. In March 2022, Jenny Fitzgerald voluntarily signed up for a beach cleaning campaign near her home town Norwich-in-Norfolk, England. The volunteers gathered there and had the task of removing beach goods, but Jenny was surprised when she discovered a chest full of coins and jewellery buried in the sand. The remarkable find took place at a place between Happysburg and Cardgap. Although the chest seems to be old, its actual age is still unknown. The closure mechanism of the chest has a crown-decorated emblem and the initials VR, probably a reference to Victoria Regina, which suggests that the chest could have been a relic from the Victorian era of the United Kingdom in the 19th century. In addition to coins and jewellery, the chest also contained a pocket watch and a perfume bottle. It remains uncertain whether Jenny will be entitled to keep her random find, as British laws typically view finds of this magnitude as property of the crown. However, it is likely that she will receive a generous reward for her discovery. Historians do not yet know who the chest belonged to, but are striving to find out in the near future. It is by no means always the case that an impressively long name gives an artefact inherent value, but this is often the case. This is definitely the case with the golden pectoral of Tovsta Mohyla. This gem from the ancient Scythian was found in a grave hill in the south of Ukraine in the year 1971 near the city of Pokrov, whose translation Pat Hügel is a quite unspectacular name for such a majestic object. This magnificent chest jewel probably belonged to a Scythian chief, but may not have originally come from Scythia. Historians speculate that it is more likely that it was made by Greek craftsmen in Pantikapeum on the shore of a region that we know today as Crimea. There is, however, a certain controversy about this assumption. The style of the piece is undoubtedly Greek, while the iconography is clearly Scythian. It is therefore possible that it was made at the request of a Scythian who recognized the superiority of Greek craftsmanship and thus created a remarkable achievement for someone who lived over 1,000 years ago. The golden rhino of Mapung Ube is not what it seems at first glance. In fact, it is a figure depicting a rhino, but it is not made of gold. In fact, it is made of wood and is covered with a thin gold foil in an attempt to give it a higher intrinsic value than what it actually has. It is estimated that the artifact is about 1,000 years old and was named so after its discovery in the Mapung Ube National Park in 1932. The archaeologists responsible for the find found that the object seems to be part of a small royal addition. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would cast a controversial light beam on the region. If the Mapung Ube was actually a royal grave, the existence of an autonomous empire or land would be in this part of South Africa in the 11th century. It would be the oldest known example of a stratified society in all of southern Africa, a fact that opposes the often-spread European narrative that South Africa was an uncivilized country before the arrival of the Dutch colonizers If the Mapung Ube was actually a royal addition in the region, there would have to be further evidence. Perhaps a more comprehensive archaeological excavation in this hill would be the appropriate starting point. Subscribe to the channel and activate the notifications so you are always the first to be informed as soon as a new video is published.