Treasure, as many think of it, is defined as an unspecified quantity of precious metals, jewels or other valuable items usually found together in hoard or trove. A few years ago in the UK there was a famous discovery of Saxon treasure known as the Staffordshire Hoard. This treasure dated from around 700CE and was one of the largest treasure finds in the UK. In terms of age however it was not particularly old when compared to the oldest treasure trove ever found.
The treasure in question was discovered by accident in Bulgaria in 1972 by an excavator driver who, fortunately for us, realised the importance of his find and reported it to local authorities.

Through the process of radio carbon dating it was placed at between 4560-4450BCE which made it the oldest treasure in the world so far found. The items in the treasure were created over 6,500 years ago. Gold treasure has been found associated with burial sites all over the world and clearly fulfilled some kind of ritual purpose with the burying of the dead and is common in archaeological finds from across Europe well into the Roman period and beyond thus making it clear that gold has been very highly valued throughout time.

Over 6kg worth of gold burial offerings have been recovered from the site in Bulgaria which makes it both the oldest and the largest discovery of gold from that period in time. This treasure comes in many shapes and sizes from beads to bracelets and rings. These artefacts can usually be seen on display at the national museum in Sofia, the Bulgarian Capital. The importance of this treasure can be seen by the fact that it has also toured he world as an exhibition called “the Gold of the Thracian Horseman”.

The artefacts are believed to have been created by a culture known as the Varna, lending the name to the site of the Varna Necropolis where the hoard was discovered. Rich cemeteries and death rituals appear to have been a major part of the Varna culture and strong trade links saw them gain items from all over the ancient world. Unfortunately due to the immense passage of time very little else is actually known about the day to day lives of these people.
As you can see Gold has been valued for many thousands of years for its rarity and pleasing appearance and for the fact that it does not tarnish. Why not check out our extensive range of products and start collecting your own treasure for the future.