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TOPIC: Ancient Gold Coin

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Sep 15 23:06 2006

Cowry shells	Permalink

Archaeologists from the Viet Nam Institute of Archaeology and the Quang Tri Province Museum have unearthed two ancient cowry shells during an excavation at the Bat Cave in Quang Tri Province. The shells were previously used as currency thousands of years ago. Archeologists concluded Thursday that the two sea-shells they had found were indeed cowry shells, the ancient money of the Post-Stone Age and the Bronze Age. Cowry shells were used as currency 2,500 to 5,000 years ago. This is the first time the old money has ever been discovered in Quang Tri Province. The shells were discovered in the famous Bat Cave, a world-renowned tourist site. Source The cave is located atop Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Mountain, 45km from Thai Nguyen City along National Road No. 1B in the Thai Nguyen-Lang Son direction. Characteristics: The cave includes 3 layers: the upper layer is Doi (Bat) Cave, the central is Sang (Light) Cave, and the lower is Toi (Dark) Cave. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Aug 30 13:50 2006

Ancient Gold Coin	Permalink

It has been thought that the first gold coins were minted by the Lydian king Croesus in about 560 BC, and the first silver coins minted by king Pheidon of Argos in about 700 BC. However, an exciting archaeological find could mark a "new page in history". According to Vladimir Ploskikh the leader of an archaeological expedition in Kyrgyzstan, possibly the world's most ancient gold coin has been discovered on the northern shore of Issuk-Kul, a high mountain lake. "This is probably the earliest form of metal money found in Central Asia, and may have served as an archetype for later gold coins. If this is confirmed, the find will have a unique worldwide historical and cultural significance as a prototype for gold money" - Vladimir Ploskikh. The expedition from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University found the 70-gram octagonal gold artefact along with bronze daggers, sickles and hatchets, as well as household implements and jewellery dating back to approximately 1,000 BC. The Great Silk trade route passes near to the site. The expedition, inspired by old legends, was looking for the burial site of Saint Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, whose relics were said to have been kept in a middle age Christian monastery on the shore of the Lake. Latitude 42°43'29.08"N Longitude 77°35'49.44"E __________________

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