She was out on a casual walk when she accidentally chanced upon 900-year-old treasure worth a million

Out of all things, the woman never imagined to stumble upon a prized historical possession.

PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO

(L) Woman out on walk in quiet area. (R) Ancient pot discovered. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels| Rachel Claire, Unsplash| Albert Vinas), Quote - Filip Velímský| Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

There have been several ancient treasures and secrets coming to the surface over the years. Hidden or buried by people centuries ago, these are coming to light in astonishing ways. A woman in Kutná Hora was on a casual walk when she stumbled upon a ceramic pot, per a press release from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. When she looked closer, she was shocked to see an ancient but invaluable possession in front of her. A 900-year-old pot containing even more significant findings has heads turning around. Experts are intrigued by this find and are estimating its worth to be equivalent to a million.

Woman on walk pausing to look at scenary. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Sebastian)

Archaeologist Filip Velímský from the Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, shared his insight on the finds. He revealed that there were over 2,000 coins called denarii in the medieval period, which were hidden in ceramic pots and placed at the spot around 900 years ago. "It was probably placed in its place during the first quarter of the 12th century, during a time of internal political instability. At that time, there were disputes in the country between members of the Přemyslid dynasty over the Prague princely throne," the archaeologist explained.

Ancient pot and other broken remnants. (Representative Image Source: Unsplash| Photo by Trnava University)

Unfortunately, due to the plowing, only the bottom of the pot remained. The other scattered coins were detected with the help of tools. While the coins are still being studied and identified in detail, experts are sure it's a rich historical find. "Unfortunately, for the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, we lack data on the purchasing power of contemporary coins. But it was a huge amount, unimaginable and at the same time inaccessible to an ordinary person. It can be compared to a million-dollar jackpot win," Velímský revealed. There is still discussion about whether the amount was hidden or retained as war booty or for other reasons.

Muddy hands holding different types of coins. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by filrom)

According to Coins Weekly, the woman discovered one of the most important coin collections in the last decade. So far, the minting of the coins revealed three Přemyslid monarchs of the time — King Vratislav II and Princes Bretislaus II and Bořivoj II. A video was shared on Facebook, revealing the findings and how the procedure took place. In another post, close-ups of the coins were also shared and it’s like a lottery for history. The caption explained, “The denars were made of a coin alloy, which in addition to silver also contains a mixture of copper, lead and other metals. Determining this particular piece can help to determine the origin of used silver.”

There are plans for the coins, mainly finding out as much about historical periods and then sharing them with the world via the museum. Lenka Mazačová, director of the Czech Silver Museum in Kutná Hora, shared the future steps that would be carried out after the discovery of the coins. “The task of the museum staff will be to record all parts of the find in the collection, to ensure the cleaning of individual coins and any possible restoration interventions, to photograph them for publication and promotional purposes, to determine numismatics, including the preparation of a detailed catalog,” the director explained. The display is expected to be shared publicly this year.