They discovered an important treasure on a farm in Újlengyel, a town near Budapest in Pest County in central Hungary. A group of archaeologists from Hungary discovered 7,000 ancient Roman coins. Only four of the coins are gold coins and the rest are silver coins. They all belong to the Middle Ages. The Ferenczy Museum Center intervened to conduct an analysis that established that the treasure was buried between 1520 and 1530.
Details of the amazing treasure discovery
The excavation was carried out in an area near another discovery made in 2019. First they found 150 coins. Eventually they started a new search organized and directed by Balázs Nag. He is a specialist who eventually devotes himself to studying and collecting coins.
Eventually the treasure was found on a hill where they dug for two days. There they dug a trench that was three feet long and the same depth. They found a jar that contained part of the treasure. However, the container was broken, likely by the action of a plow, so the rest of the coins found it scattered. Among the coins found were some older than others, the following were striking:
- The oldest coin is a silver denarius from the years 161 to 169 AD with the image of the Roman emperor Lucius Aurelius Veru.
- Twelve denarii from Aquileia with the image of the ancient kings of Hungary and Croatia from the 15th and 16th centuries.
- A silver denarius issued by Pope Pius II in the Vatican.
Experts speculate as to why they buried the ancient Roman coins
The Ottoman army advanced in this area of Hungarian lands after a crushing triumph at the Battle of Mohács in 1526. In this battle, the forces of Suleiman the Magnificent defeated those of King Ludwig II of Hungary.
It is estimated that the owners of the Roman coins wanted to prevent the Turks from appropriating the treasure. It was an important value, at that time they could have bought up to 7 horses with the coins they found. So far it is the most important one discovered in the region.
The group of archaeologists, together with the directors of the Ferenczy Museum Center, plan to continue excavation work in the region. The purpose is to find more treasure or to expand the information on what has already been found.
