It seems many people have trinket boxes, jewelry boxes, trunks, and even junk drawers that have accumulated over time. Most often than not, tiny little materials of “unknowns” will frequently be tossed in the mix in an effort to figure out what it goes to later. You may have gotten a small box of trinkets that Great Grandma gave you containing a brooch missing some stones, or an earring set that is missing an earring, or a pocket watch that never operated, but for the sentimental value you kept it and never though much of it. But one day you are thumbing through the box in an effort to find the extra button that came with your favorite blouse and noticed a small gold chain link, looking as if it belonged on a necklace that carried a charm. You pay it no mind as you continue your search for the button. But what if that little gold clasp was centuries old that inadvertently continued to be passed down through the generations? It is always a good idea to bring odd little odds and ends to Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services as well; just in case it is actually something more than what meets the eye! Today we at Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services would like to relate the recent discovery of what could be the world’s oldest gold artifact.
Discovery of the Oldest Gold Treasure Artifact in Europe & Perhaps the World!
Bulgarian archaeologists believe they have made an enormous discovery for Europe, and perhaps the world when a tiny gold bead, a mere 1/8” in diameter, was discovered. This little bead has been proven to date back to a pre-historic settlement in southern Bulgaria, believed to be dating back to somewhere between 4500 and 4600 B.C. The oldest gold found previously to the Bulgarian gold band was in 1972 when jewelry from the Copper Age necropolis in the Bulgarian Black Sea City of Varna was unearthed. This small gold bead shows that Copper Age people residing in the Balkans region were processing gold some 6,500 years ago!
Origin of the Oldest Gold Treasure
An expert believes the tiny golden bead originated fairly close to where it was found, which at the time was the first urbanized settlement in Europe in a modern town of Pazardzhik, believed to be a highly-cultured society around 6000BC, in what would be today’s Turkey. Despite the petite size, it is truly a big find for history. Weighing in at .005 ounces the little gold bead was dug up in the remains of a small house in a time when the people were discovering the use of metals. The gold bead is being speculated as a prototype. The settlement that has been excavated stretches 25-30 acres with the remnants of a 9 foot fortress wall. Throughout the dig site, over 150 ceramic bird figurines were also found and experts believe they worshiped the bird or at least held it in high regard by the town’s people. Evidence suggests that the town met its destruction by hostile and aggressive tribes invading north-east 4,100 B.C. Once the age of the golden bead is confirmed and analyzed, the gold bead will be exhibited in historical museum of Paradzhik.
Gold, Precious Metal, Jewelry & Other Personal Property Appraisals in Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Palm Springs, Indio & Southern California
If you find even the smallest of treasures, be sure to take it to Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services to determine the value of your find. Call us today to schedule your appointment for a formal appraisal or complete our 30 minute online evaluation form!
