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Gold

The 1,500-year-old gold ring's semiprecious red stone likely served as a symbol of power.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds Rare 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring in Denmark

The distinctly decorated artifact may be linked to a powerful family in the area with ties to the Merovingians

The trove of goods was discovered alongside the graves of three individuals who died 1,700 years ago.

Cool Finds

Graves of Roman Family Held Jewelry, Coins and ‘Exquisite’ Vials for Storing Mourners’ Tears

Archaeologists in Bulgaria unearthed the remains of three individuals interred with rare treasures dating to the third century

The Treasure of Villena was discovered in Spain's Iberian Peninsula in 1963.

New Research

These 3,000-Year-Old Treasures Were Forged From Meteoritic Iron

New research reveals that two Bronze Age artifacts from the Treasure of Villena contain iron from a meteor that hit a million years ago

The five-inch-long Bronze Age dress fastener may have once been worn by an "important person,"

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds a Rare 3,000-Year-Old Dress Fastener

The gold accessory is one of only seven artifacts of this kind discovered in England and Wales

Many of the graves found at this ancient Roman burial ground were protected by tile or terra-cotta coverings.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Roman Cemetery Full of Jewelry, Coins and Clothing

Discovered north of Rome, the burial ground lies near what was once an upper-class villa

The object was found by metal detectorists in Norfolk, England.

Cool Finds

This 1,200-Year-Old Artifact Is Stunning—but Nobody Knows What It Is

The intricately decorated silver object was likely created by a highly skilled craftsperson in England

Our ten most-read stories of the year featured the author of Anne of Green Gables, tiny penguins, Queen Charlotte and more.

Our Top Ten Stories of 2023

From the world’s oldest dog to the real history behind “Oppenheimer,” these were the magazine’s most-read articles of the year

Erlend Bore poses with the trove that he found soon after buying his first metal detector.

Cool Finds

Amateur Metal Detectorist Makes ‘Gold Find of the Century’ in Norway

Erlend Bore unearthed a trove of 1,500-year-old gold jewelry—just months after he picked up the hobby

The coins depict the god Apollo on one side and a horse surrounded by symbols on the other.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorists Discover 2,000-Year-Old Gold Coins in Wales

The 15 artifacts are the first Iron Age gold coins ever found in the country

The 700-plus gold coins, found in a cornfield in Kentucky, date to between 1840 and 1863.

Cool Finds

Trove of 700 Civil War-Era Gold Coins Discovered in Kentucky

An unidentified man found the cache, which may have been buried ahead of a Confederate invasion, in a cornfield earlier this year

The front of the newly returned altar panel features St. Nicholas of Bari, St. James of Tarentaise and St. Germanus of Paris.

U.K. Museum Recovers 15th-Century Altar Panel Almost 50 Years After It Was Stolen

The piece was about to go to auction when researchers noticed similarities to another panel at the York Art Gallery

An employee of the Historical Circle Kesteren at a dig in the Dutch village of Ommeren, where researchers hoped to find treasure German soldiers buried during World War II

What Happened to the Treasure Nazis Buried in This Dutch Village?

The Dutch National Archives released a map supposedly leading to the trove of jewelry, coins and precious stones in January

Interest in gold prospecting is growing across the country as the value of gold rises.

Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States

Lucky for you, these gold rush hot spots have not yet run their mining course

The full treasure includes 4 ear pendants, 39 silver coins and 2 strips of gold leaf.

Cool Finds

1,000-Year-Old Gold Earrings and Silver Coins Unearthed in the Netherlands

Lorenzo Ruijter, a Dutch treasure hunter, discovered the cache with his metal detector

One of the pieces of Cambodian jewelry returned by the estate of antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford

Looted Gold Jewelry Returns to Cambodia

Now back in Phnom Penh, the 77 items may have been worn by Angkorian royalty

One of the recently discovered tombs at the Saqqara archaeological site

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Oldest Known Gold-Covered Mummy in Egypt

The year-long excavation has also revealed statues, tools, pottery and dozens of other artifacts

The gold pendant likely dates to around 1521.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Gold Pendant Celebrating Henry VIII’s First Marriage

The heart-shaped accessory features the entwined initials of the Tudor king and Catherine of Aragon

Microwear traces on a Bronze Age tool used for smoothing or polishing

New Research

Unearthed Near Stonehenge, This Toolkit Was Used for Goldwork 4,000 Years Ago

The toolkit was discovered in 1801—but until recently, researchers didn’t understand its purpose

The five-button work pants recovered from the S.S. Central America

Cool Finds

These Pants Were Pulled From an 1857 Shipwreck. Are They the World’s Oldest Jeans?

After more than a century at the bottom of the ocean, the garment fetched $114,000 at auction

Pieces of Forrest Fenn's treasure

You Can Own a Piece of Forrest Fenn’s Treasure

The valuable artifacts, hidden in the Rocky Mountains for more than a decade, are going up for auction

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