Dutch historian finds 1,000-year-old medieval treasure utilizing steel detector

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A Dutch historian discovered distinctive 1,000-year-old medieval golden treasure, consisting of 4 golden ear pendants, two strips of gold leaf and 39 silver cash, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) introduced on Thursday.

Lorenzo Ruijter, 27, who advised Reuters he has been treasure searching since he was 10, found the treasure in 2021 within the small northern metropolis of Hoogwoud, utilizing a steel detector.

“It was very special discovering something this valuable, I can’t really describe it. I never expected to discover anything like this,” Ruijter mentioned, including that it was laborious to maintain it a secret for 2 years.

But consultants of the National Museum of Antiquities wanted the time to wash, examine and date the treasure’s objects and have now discovered that the newest coin could be dated again to round 1250, which made them assume the treasure was buried then.

Part of the 1000-year-old medieval treasure found in Hoogwoud, Netherlands, consisting of jewellery and silver cash. Credit: Archeologie West-Friesland/Reuters

By that point the jewellery was already two centuries previous, the museum mentioned, including it should have already got been “an expensive and cherished possession.”

“Golden jewelry from the High Middle Ages is extremely rare in the Netherlands,” the museum additionally mentioned.

While it would stay a thriller why precisely the treasure was buried, the museum pointed on the market was a struggle raging between Dutch areas West Friesland and Holland in the course of the thirteenth century, with Hoogwoud being the epicenter.

The museum said it was rare to find golden jewelry from the High Middle Ages in the country.

The museum mentioned it was uncommon to seek out golden jewellery from the High Middle Ages within the nation. Credit: Archeologie West-Friesland/Reuters

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Ruijter mentioned it’s doable somebody highly effective on the time buried the precious objects as a strategy to shield them and hopefully dig them up as soon as it was secure once more.

Given its archaeological significance, the treasure was given as a mortgage to the museum which can show it, however it would stay the official property of finder Lorenzo Ruijter.