Scientists discovered more than 100,000 ancient coins at an excavation site in Japan
13.11.2023 - 09:49
/ insider.com
Archaeologists found a trove of 100,000 ancient coins at an excavation site in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, in central Japan on November 3, the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported, citing Maebashi municipal government officials.
The coins were found in an area where a company planned to build a factory, Asahi Shimbun reported. Archeologists dug up the area — which measured 1.96 feet high and 3.2 feet wide — and found 1,060 bundles of coins containing 100 pieces each, per the report. The coins were bundled with straw rope.
A photo of the excavation site published by Asahi Shimbun shows hundreds of grey, round objects and a large hole in the ground. Several other relics have also been found at the excavation site, per Asahi Shimbun.
Archeologists found that some of the coins traced back to China and date some 2,000 years old, per Asahi Shimbun. They've examined 334 coins and found the coins date back to at least 44 different years, per the report.
The oldest coin examined was a Ban Liang — a bronze coin that dates back to the Chinese empire in 175 BC — and the most recent dated to 1256, per Asahi Shimbun. The oldest coin found was engraved with the words "Ban" and "Liang" and had a hole in the middle.
The coin discovery in Japan comes shortly after an amateur diver found 30,000 to 50,000 ancient Roman coins off a shipwreck in Italy in November. And in September, a man using a metal detector found gold coins and jewelry that date back to 500 AD in Norway.
The Maebashi municipal government officials did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.