An event that occurred off the coast of Sardinia could be called an archaeological shock. An amateur diver exploring shallow water noticed a mysterious light in the sand. What he considered ordinary trash turned out to be the greatest treasure – an accumulation of tens of thousands of ancient Roman bronze coins.
Precious treasure
According to preliminary estimates, the total number of coins could reach 30–50 thousand. All date from the 4th century AD. For historians and archaeologists, this discovery is not only a collection of antiquities but also valuable evidence that helps reconstruct ship routes and migration routes of people across the Mediterranean, writes. Earth.com.
After the diver's signal, a group of experts quickly arrived at the site of the discovery: underwater archaeologists, cultural heritage protection officials and even coast guard divers. The work is being carried out under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The main goal is to carefully record the location of the finds and retrieve them before they are damaged by storms or human activity.
The coins are scattered in two areas of the seabed, between the sand and the seagrass beds of Posidonia Oceanica. Many of them are partially submerged in the sand and only their edges are visible on the surface.
The coins found were of the follis type – bronze currency used in everyday transactions by Roman soldiers and citizens. Unlike the royal court's rare gold coins, follis were the “workhorses” of monetary circulation. Thanks to the coin's traces, experts were able to accurately date the treasure to the period between 324 and 340 AD.
The coins depict portraits of Emperor Constantine the Great and members of his family. Analysis shows that coins were minted in most of the empire's mints in operation at the time.
Other findings
In addition to coins, people also found pieces of amphorae and ceramic vessels used to transport goods at the bottom. Scientists note that dense thickets of seagrass act as a natural preservative, protecting artifacts from exposure to oxygen and keeping them in excellent condition for centuries.
Each coin is a miniature historical document: it depicts the portrait of the ruler, inscribes his name, and often contains a specific political message. Together they create a detailed picture of the era.
Work at the search site required extreme caution: each artifact was raised in special containers to avoid sudden changes in environmental conditions. In the laboratory, experts carry out delicate work to clean the coin from salt and stabilize the corrosion process.
In the future, archaeologists hope to not only preserve the coins, but also reconstruct the route of the sunken ship, which will help them better understand the commercial relationships of the Roman Empire. Part of the collection will be transferred to regional museums, the rest will be retained for further scientific research.
As noted by the official representative of the agency for the protection of cultural heritage, Luigi La Rocca, this discovery is considered one of the most important discoveries of coinage in recent years, opening a new page in the study of the history of the Roman Empire.
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