Here are some of the most valuable archaeological discoveries in human history:
The Bactrian Gold, 1978
The treasure found at Tillya Tepe was recovered from graves. More than 20,000 gold ornaments were retrieved, with elaborate objects from China, India and Greece mixed in together. The treasure was dated to around the 1st century CE.
The Panagyurishte Treasure, 1949
Digging for clay at a tile factory near Panagyurishte, Bulgaria, led to the excavation of 6 kg worth of gold, carved into elaborate shapes dating from 4th century BCE. The treasure was thought to have been used in religious rites. The Cuerdale Treasures, 1840 While repairing the embankment of the Ribble river in England, workmen dug up one of the biggest hoards of Viking treasure ever found — more than 8,600 items were documented, including silver coins, various bits of jewellery and silver ingots.
Caesarea Sunken Treasure, 2015
While exploring the seabed near the harbour of Caesarea National Park, Israel, scuba divers found nearly 2,000 gold coins minted at different times, the earliest dates from the latter half of the 9th century.
Staffordshire Hoard, 2009
Terry Herbert discovered the largest trove of Anglo-Saxon treasure using his metal detector on a ploughed field near Hammerwich in Staffordshire. The hoard, thought to date back to the 8th century, included over 3,500 items, most of which were military-related.
