Bronze Age hoard with heavy gold found in Romania

A Bronze Age hoard with three heavy gold necklaces has been discovered near the town of Urlați, northeast of Bucharest, Romania. The three necklaces have a combined weight of more than 300 grams, that’s a hair under 11 ounces. This is an exceptional find for the country and may upend current scholarship on the chronology of the Romanian Bronze Age.

The hoard was found by an authorized metal detectorist on a remote hill in the Marginea Pădurii area. He dug down 10 inches and found an Iron Age ornament shaped like chariot wheel with a bird on it. Two more wheels were found flanking that one, and three massive gold spiral bangles overlapped the wheels. Two bronze axes and a bronze arm bring or bracelet were also in the grouping.

The arrangement of the hoard suggests that the artifacts were not lost casually. The gold collars seem to have been deliberately rolled and deposited in a small space. The three iron wheels appear to have framed or protected the group, while a bronze bracelet lay at the bottom of the pit. Later examination found that the gold spirals were not in fact bracelets, but rather large neck rings coiled up tightly to fit them into a small space, likely a box that disintegrated over the millennia. The position the pieces were found in confirms that they were once boxed.

One of the gold necklaces bears stamped decoration similar to patterns seen on Bronze Age ceramics. The style of the other pieces recalls forms known from silver objects belonging to different periods. This mixture of materials, forms and decorative traditions is one reason the hoard has caused such interest.

The small axes and iron wheels add another layer to the puzzle. Their presence beside the gold ornaments may indicate symbolic meaning, ritual practice, elite status, or a carefully hidden personal or community treasure.

Archaeologists are now considering two main possibilities. The hoard may have been a votive deposit, placed intentionally in a meaningful location as part of a ritual act. Another possibility is that it was hidden during a moment of danger, perhaps by a small prehistoric community trying to protect its wealth from conflict or displacement.

The finder reported his discover to the Prahova County Department of Culture as required by law, benefiting from the treasure law that grants the finder 45% of assessed value. The objects were transferred to the Prahova Archaeological Museum where experts are currently analyzing their composition and decoration. They are hoping to find out where the gold was mined and worked, as if they came from far away, it’s evidence of a wide network of trade across the Carpathian mountain range.

Dating the artifacts has proved challenging as they could range from the late Bronze Age through to the beginning of the Iron Age. Archaeologists plan to return to the hill for further excavation. The metal detectorist saw no signs of a prehistoric settlement, burial or cult sanctuary at the site that might explain why the hoard was buried there.

* This article was originally published here