The treasure of coins buried under an ancient house in the city of Notion was likely hidden by mercenaries during times of chaos and subsequently lost.
Archaeologists discovered a jar filled with gold coins so abundant that they overflowed, as reported by Live Science on August 2. These gold coins were found inside a room beneath a house in Notion, an ancient city located in present-day western Turkey. The coins feature a design of an archer in a kneeling position, a design element associated with the Persian daric, a gold coin minted by the Achaemenid Empire. The coins were likely minted in Sardis, approximately 97 kilometers northeast of Notion, according to a statement from the University of Michigan.
Persian daric coin featuring a kneeling archer. (Photo: University of Michigan).
Researchers believe that the mercenaries used the coins for payment, but the reason for burying the jar of coins remains unclear. “Such a significant discovery in a very rare archaeological excavation,” stated Christopher Ratté, a professor of Mediterranean art and archaeology at the University of Michigan and director of the Notion Archaeological Survey, the project that uncovered the coins. “No one buries a treasure of coins, especially such valuable gold coins, without the intention of retrieving them. Therefore, only misfortune could explain the intact condition of the treasure.”
Several clues suggest that the coins were minted in the 5th century BC. According to Ratté, this treasure provides a solid timeline that could serve as a key to date the entire coin hoard. The Greek historian Xenophon noted that a daric was equivalent to the monthly wage of a soldier.
In recent years, this excavation site has been a hotspot for numerous artifact discoveries, including shards of pottery from the 5th century BC, hidden within walls associated with the foundation of the house during the Hellenistic period.
The Hellenistic period followed the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and lasted until the Roman conquest of the Greek kingdom in 31 BC. Throughout the 6th century BC, Notion was part of the Achaemenid Empire along with many other Greek cities.
From 430 to 427 BC, a group of Persians, Greeks, and mercenaries invaded Notion. During this time, the Athenian general Paches killed mercenaries supporting the Persians, inciting the expulsion of the Persians from the city as Athenian forces took control. According to Ratté, these events may have led to the burial and subsequent loss of the jar of gold coins.
