Archaeologists stumble upon priceless gold coins in unusual location

During a recent excavation in Bulgaria, archaeologists made a surprising discovery of ancient gold coins.

The excavation site in the northern Bulgarian village of Debnevo yielded five Byzantine coins dating back to the reign of Justinian the Great.

The announcement of this discovery was made on Aug. 27 by Dr. Stiliyan Ivanov, an associate professor at the National Institute of Archaeology and Museum.

Debnevo, located near a fifth-century fortress, has been a focus of excavation projects for the past five years.

The coins were found in the remains of a 10th-century house, posing a puzzle as they predated the structure by over 400 years, belonging to the era of Justinian’s rule from 527 to 565 A.D.

It is believed that medieval builders discovered the coins while constructing the 10th-century house, which later burned down, leading to the abandonment of the site.

The coins, featuring Justinian’s face and inscriptions, were likely considered valuable in the 10th century and may have been kept as heirlooms by the medieval residents.

Archaeologists noted that three coins were in excellent condition, while two had melted together, possibly due to the fire that destroyed the dwelling.

In addition to the coins, the excavation also unearthed axes, sickles, ceramic vessels, and bronze rings.

This discovery of ancient coins adds to a series of similar findings this summer, including ancient Greek gold coins in western Turkey and silver coins from the 11th century in the Czech Republic.