A unique medieval gold treasure was discovered by a Dutch historian using a metal detector. He mainly found four gold earrings, two strips of gold leaf and 39 silver coins that are a millennium old. The discovery was announced by the Royal Museum of Antiquities of the Netherlands.
The 27 years old historian Lorenzo Ruijter, said he discovered this impressive treasure in Hoogwoud, a small town in the province of North Holland.
In an interview with Reuters, Ruijter said, "It was very important that I discovered something so valuable. I really can not describe it. I never expected to discover something like this," adding that it was very difficult to keep his discovery under wraps for almost two years until the museum fully evaluated it.
However, experts at the Royal Museum of Antiquities took time to clean, examine and date the objects, and only now have they discovered that the youngest coin in the collection dates from around 1250 AD, leading them to conclude that the treasure was buried at that time.
By that time, the jewelry was already two centuries old, the museum said in a statement, adding that it must have been an "expensive and treasured acquisition".
While it will remain a mystery exactly why the treasure was buried, the museum pointed out that at the time, in the mid-13th century, Hoogwoud was at the center of a war between the Dutch regions of West Frisia and the Netherlands.
Lorenzo Ruijter believes it is possible that an influential figure of the time buried the precious items to protect them and in the hope of recovering them when he thought they were safe.
Because of its archeological value, the treasure has been given to the museum where it will be exhibited, but it remains the official property of Lorenzo Ruijter, who discovered it.
