Gold

The gold votive plaque features a Greek inscription dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby

Thousands of treasure hunters have tried to locate the owl statue.

A Treasure Hunt for an Ornate Golden Owl Buried in France Has Ended After 31 Years

The quest drew thousands of curious participants hoping to solve a series of elaborate riddles—and win a bejeweled statue worth an estimated $165,000

The 24-karat gold spiral statuette is inscribed with a message pointing the finder to more than $87,000 worth of Bitcoin.

A Treasure Hunter Just Uncovered the $100,000 Prize Hidden in the Massachusetts Woods

Two weeks ago, organizers of Project Skydrop stashed a golden statuette in a secret location somewhere in the northeastern United States

The temple walls' reliefs were restored to reveal colorful paint that decorated carvings of Egyptian gods.

See an Ancient Egyptian Temple's Brilliant Colors, Newly Revealed Beneath Layers of Dust and Soot

Experts are carefully uncovering traces of the original paint and fragments of gold leaf that once adorned the 2,000-year-old Temple of Edfu

When earthquakes squeeze quartz crystals, the mineral generates electricity that attracts gold particles.

How Large Gold Nuggets Form in Quartz Crystals During Earthquakes

Quartz, which can generate electricity, attracts large chunks of gold when stressed and squeezed by seismic shaking, according to a new study

Each of the Persian darics features an image of a crouched archer.

Archaeologists Stumble Upon Ancient Pot of Gold Coins in Turkey

Researchers think the hoard, which dates to the fifth century B.C.E., may have been buried during a time of upheaval

The wine, made of crushed white grapes 2,000 years ago, turned red-brown with age.

Oldest Wine Ever Found in Liquid Form Unearthed in 2,000-Year-Old Tomb

Researchers have concluded that the fluid preserved inside an ancient funerary urn is a white sherry-like wine

A lesson plan from the National Museum of the American Indian seeks to include missing narratives about the California Gold Rush.

There’s a Better Way to Teach the California Gold Rush

A new lesson plan centers Native American perspectives on the violence of Western expansion

Researchers tested 49 medieval coins, finding the older ones were minted from silver Byzantine goods and the newer ones were made of silver mined in western France.

Medieval English Coins Were Made With Melted Byzantine Silver

Researchers have solved the mystery of the silver coin boom that took place around 660 C.E.

The first-century C.E. helmet alongside a newly created replica

See a Restored Ancient Roman Helmet—and Two Shiny New Replicas

The 2,000-year-old Hallaton Helmet is now on permanent display at the Harborough Museum in England

Some said the pirate king went to ground in London or Scotland, others that he died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave in Devon. Or was he sipping fine French wine in the hills above Marseille?

The Notorious Pirate King Who Vanished With the Riches of a Mughal Treasure Ship

In the late 17th century, Henry Avery—the subject of the first global manhunt—bribed his way into the Bahamas

Richard Brock found the nugget using an old back-up metal detector.

Man With Broken Metal Detector Unearths Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found in England

Richard Brock stumbled upon the treasure, valued at more than $38,000, about 20 minutes after starting his search

This one-inch-tall gold Bionicle mask was found in a bag of jewelry at a Pennsylvania Goodwill.

Goodwill Listed This Rare Gold Lego Piece for $14.95. It Sold for $18,101

Lego created just 30 of the 14-karat gold Kanohi Hau masks for a giveaway in 2001

The 1,500-year-old gold ring's semiprecious red stone likely served as a symbol of power.

Metal Detectorist Finds Rare 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring in Denmark

The distinctly decorated artifact may be linked to a powerful family in the area with ties to the Merovingians

The trove of goods was discovered alongside the graves of three individuals who died 1,700 years ago.

Graves of Roman Family Held Jewelry, Coins and 'Exquisite' Vials for Storing Mourners' Tears

Archaeologists in Bulgaria unearthed the remains of three individuals interred with rare treasures dating to the third century

The Treasure of Villena was discovered in Spain's Iberian Peninsula in 1963.

These 3,000-Year-Old Treasures Were Forged From Meteoritic Iron

New research reveals that two Bronze Age artifacts from the Treasure of Villena contain iron from a meteor that hit a million years ago

The five-inch-long Bronze Age dress fastener may have once been worn by an "important person,"

Metal Detectorist Finds a Rare 3,000-Year-Old Dress Fastener

The gold accessory is one of only seven artifacts of this kind discovered in England and Wales

Many of the graves onsite were protected by tile or terracotta coverings.

Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Roman Cemetery Full of Jewelry, Coins and Clothing

Discovered north of Rome, the burial ground lies near what was once an upper-class villa

The object was found by metal detectorists in Norfolk, England.

This 1,200-Year-Old Artifact Is Stunning—but Nobody Knows What It Is

The intricately decorated silver object was likely created by a highly skilled craftsperson in England

Our ten most-read stories of the year featured the author of Anne of Green Gables, tiny penguins, Queen Charlotte and more.

Our Top Ten Stories of 2023

From the world's oldest dog to the real history behind "Oppenheimer," these were the magazine's most-read articles of the year

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