Here are 10 stunning gold and silver treasures, dating from millennia to centuries ago, that came to light in 2022.
Over the centuries, humans have crafted gold and silver into jewelry, coins and other stunning items. Some of these shiny objects were interred in burials or lost from loose pockets, only to be found hundreds of years to millennia later by archaeologists digging into our past or even unearthed unintentionally by members of the public. Here are 10 extraordinary discoveries that came to light in 2022.
3. Byzantine gold coins in IsraelArchaeologists on a nature reserve in northern Israel dug up a trove of 44 gold coins dating to the Byzantine Empire . These gorgeous coins date to the reigns of Emperor Phocas and Emperor Heraclius . The hoard's owner may have buried the stash before fleeing from Muslim soldiers, who invaded the region in A.D. 635.
6."Abbess" buried with gold-and-garnet necklaceAn elite woman buried in seventh-century England was laid to rest with a stunning necklace made of gold, garnets and Roman coin pendants. The burial included two impressive crosses, indicating that this medieval woman may have been an early female Christian leader such as an abbess, or possibly even royalty.