In a remarkable find, archaeologists from the University of Michigan have uncovered a pot of gold coins in the ancient Greek city of Notion, located in what is now western Turkey. The discovery, made while excavating the courtyard of a third-century B.C.E. house, offers a rare glimpse into the region’s turbulent past.

A Hidden Treasure

The hoard consists of Persian darics, gold coins minted in Sardis, 60 miles northeast of Notion. Each coin features the image of a kneeling archer. Experts believe the coins date back to the fifth century B.C.E., much older than the house where they were found. Christopher Ratté, an archaeologist at the University of Michigan and the director of the Notion Archaeological Survey, noted that such a valuable find in a controlled excavation is exceedingly rare.

“No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it,” Ratté said. “So only the gravest misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure.”

Notion was a frequent battleground between Greek and Persian forces. During the Peloponnesian War, from 430 to 427 B.C.E., Persian sympathizers controlled the city with the help of mercenaries. The Athenian general Paches eventually reclaimed Notion, expelling the Persian sympathizers.

According to the Greek historian Xenophon, one daric constituted the monthly pay of a single soldier

Ratté suggests that these conflicts could explain why the coins were buried and never retrieved. “It is possible it was not associated with either of these dramatic events, but was simply the savings of a veteran mercenary soldier in a time and place when soldiers of fortune could make a lot of money if they were willing to risk their lives for the highest bidder,” he told the NY Times.

Coins with context

According to the archaeologists, the coins will help to refine the chronology of Achaemenid gold coinage. This discovery is important because most surviving hoards of darics were found by looters, and thus lack detailed contextual information.

“An archaeological find without contextual information is like a person suffering from amnesia, a person without memories,” Ratté said. “It is still interesting and important, but the loss of knowledge is incalculable.”

“In the case of this hoard, we know precisely where it was found, and we have a great deal of circumstantial evidence for when it was deposited.” Because of their value, Ratté speculated whoever buried the coins encountered “only the gravest misfortune” before they could retrieve them.

The researchers have recently initiated new excavations in Notion, hoping that further discoveries will shed light on the hoard. Meanwhile, experts at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Turkey are analyzing the coins. The ongoing research may reveal more about the coins’ origin and the historical events surrounding their burial.

The story of these gold coins, buried and forgotten in a time of conflict, adds a fascinating chapter to the history of Notion and the wider region.