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'Pot of Gold Coins' Minted by Persian Empire and Unearthed from House in Turkey Baffles Archeologists

Researchers believe that the main purpose of Daric coins was to pay mercenary troops.

PUBLISHED AUG 10, 2024

Cover Image Source: Notion Archaeological Project, University of Michigan (Archaeologists discovered a pot of gold Persian coins, at the ancient city of Notion in Turkey)

A pot full of gold coins was recently unearthed in a house located in Turkey. This discovery was made by University of Michigan scholars, in Notion, an ancient Greek city, present in modern-day western Turkey, inside a room of an old house, Indy 100 reported.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ohoto by Blerdi Malushi

The coin features the image of a crouched archer, Indy 100 reported. The imagery implies that these coins were issued by the Persian empire.

The design is consistent with images found in the Daric, a type of gold coin used in the Persian empire, CBS News reported. The coins were in circulation from the late 6th century B.C. until Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian empire in 330 B.C. Researchers believe that the main purpose of Daric coins was to pay mercenary troops.

The University of Michigan scholars date back the coins to the fifth century B.C., per a press release. U-M archaeologist Christopher Ratté, who was part of the team that unearthed the pot, believes that the discovery would pave the way for more findings about the coins and the time.

Image Source: Notion Archaeological Project, University of Michigan (Archaeologists discovered a pot of gold Persian coins, called darics, at the ancient city of Notion in Turkey. The coins show a figure of a kneeling archer, the characteristic design of the Persian daric, a type of gold coin issued by the Persian Empire) — Image Source: Notion Archaeological Project, University of Michigan

The team also found other artifacts along with the pot of gold coins, CBS News reported. Ratte shared that it is rare to find valuables of so much worth from the ancient past, buried in such a manner.

"The discovery of such a valuable find in a controlled archaeological excavation is very rare," Ratté said, as per the press release. "No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it. So only the gravest misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure."

The discovery was made in 2023 and made public in 2024, with permission from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, CBS News reported. Experts believe the coins were stashed in the location because of conflicts in Notion, a hotspot for military operations.