They announced it from the Italian Ministry of Culture. This is the discovery of a huge archaeological find in the waters off the coast of Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean. There, under the waters, the treasure of 50 thousand coins appeared.
According to the Italian media, the treasure was found by a submariner. It was near the town of Arzachena, on the north coast of the island. Apparently, the diver discovered the treasure by seeing a shiny metal while he was swimming.
Well preserved
After that, the Ministry sent its Underwater Archeology Department to investigate. They revealed the impressive scope of the discovery. At least 30,000 coins dating from the ancient Roman Empire, and possibly up to 50,000.
These are the follis coins, they are made of bronze and a small amount of silver. They were introduced by the Roman emperor, Diocletian, around 294 AD. It was done as part of a broader monetary reform. The reign of Diocletian contributed to ending the crisis of the 3rd century; a series of colossal social upheavals and civil wars. These laid the groundwork for the empire’s final collapse two centuries later.
The coins are exceptionally well preserved. Even the damaged ones are still legible after 1,700 years. «We will carry out restoration and conservation operations on the coins and materials found. A lot of information can still be extracted,” the ministry explained in a press release.
Other treasures
«The treasure represents one of the most important numismatic discoveries in recent years. “It reveals the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that is hidden in the depths of our seas.” This was declared by Luigi La Rocca, general director of Archeology of the Italian Ministry of Culture.
At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Britain and Spain in the west to Armenia and Babylon in the east. Its population was between 59 and 76 million people, gathered in what was effectively a gigantic economic sphere. Coins of the Empire are regularly found throughout Africa and Eurasia.
Thus, last month 2,000 Roman coins were found in a vase buried in a field near the Welsh town of Conwy in the United Kingdom. However, it does not come close to the importance of the treasure of 50 thousand coins found this time.
