Ancient buried treasure unearthed by metal detectorists in Transylvania

Almanac: The commencement of Dracula

Almanac: The commencement of Dracula 01:58

Two men with metallic detectors precocious discovered a trove of past treasure successful Transylvania, which shed caller airy connected aboriginal settlements successful the storied humanities region, local officials said. Encompassing overmuch of present-day Romania, Transylvania is known for its medieval towns, Gothic architecture and vampiric folklore, with a mythical estimation tied to the fictional quality Dracula and his real-life inspiration, the notorious 15th-century ruler Vlad the Impaler.

The treasure unearthed this outpouring successful the Transylvanian municipality of Breaza dates backmost overmuch farther than the brutal monarch's reign. In an announcement shared past week, officials successful Breaza said the metallic detectorists recovered jewelry that primitively belonged to Dacian people, who inhabited what is present Transylvania and immoderate of its surrounding areas from astir the 1st period B.C.E. until the 1st period of the communal era. Dacia was yet conquered by the Roman Empire.

Silver brooches and a bracelet decorated with works motifs were among the artifacts discovered, successful summation to a concatenation necklace and a loop constructed retired of circular metallic pendants, each marked with star symbols. The treasure weighed 550 grams altogether, officials said, equating to much a pound.

A postulation of centuries-old metallic jewelry erstwhile belonged to an past Dacian aristocrat, according to section officials successful Romania. Primaria Comunei Breaza Mures/Facebook

The Mures County Museum, adjacent Breaza, confirmed the jewelry's origins successful past Dacian society. An archaeologist astatine the museum, Daniel Ciota, volition survey the treasure arsenic it is prepared for display. 

Officials successful Breaza said the metallic pieces were apt worn by a Dacian aristocrat, citing its lavishness arsenic a awesome of its owner's status, perchance arsenic a "high-ranking" subordinate of their society. As for wherefore the jewels were yet buried successful the ground, the officials suggested they could person been utilized arsenic offerings to immoderate chartless deity agelong ago. However, they besides acknowledged idiosyncratic whitethorn person hidden them for much idiosyncratic reasons.

There were nary erstwhile records of Dacian settlements successful this portion of Transylvania, and the treasure is the archetypal carnal grounds disconnected Dacian radical surviving astir Breaza. Moving forward, officials said archaeologists and researchers volition statesman to research the country successful hopes of uncovering remnants of a colony wherever the proprietor of the jewels whitethorn person lived.

"These humanities artifacts punctual america of the taste practice and value of our portion successful the past of Dacia," the municipality of Breaza wrote successful a societal media post unveiling the treasure. "This find honors and encourages america to proudly support and beforehand our heritage."

In:
• Archaeologist
• Romania