Dutch Historian Finds Medieval Treasure Using Metal Detector

Photo of the treasure courtesy of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities Twitter account
Photo of the treasure courtesy of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities Twitter account
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Dutch Historian Finds Medieval Treasure Using Metal Detector

Photo of the treasure courtesy of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities Twitter account
Photo of the treasure courtesy of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities Twitter account

A Dutch historian found a unique 1,000-year-old medieval golden treasure, consisting of four golden ear pendants, two strips of gold leaf and 39 silver coins, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) announced on Thursday.

Lorenzo Ruijter, 27, who told Reuters he has been treasure hunting since he was 10, discovered the treasure in 2021 in the small northern city of Hoogwoud, using a metal detector.

"It was very special discovering something this valuable, I can't really describe it. I never expected to discover anything like this", Ruijter said, adding that it was hard to keep it a secret for two years.

But experts of the National Museum of Antiquities needed the time to clean, investigate and date the treasure's objects and have now found that the youngest coin can be dated back to around 1250, which made them assume the treasure was buried then.

By that time the jewelry was already two centuries old, the museum said, adding it must already have been "an expensive and cherished possession".

"Golden jewelry from the High Middle Ages is extremely rare in the Netherlands," the museum also said.

While it will remain a mystery why exactly the treasure was buried, the museum pointed out there was a war raging between Dutch regions West Friesland and Holland in the middle of the 13th century, with Hoogwoud being the epicenter.

Lorenzo said it is possible someone powerful at the time buried the valuable objects as a way to protect them and hopefully dig them up once it was safe again.

Given its archaeological significance, the treasure was given as a loan to the museum which will display it, but it will remain the official property of finder Lorenzo Ruijter.



Baby Mammoth Preserved for 50,000 Years Is Unveiled in Russia’s Siberia

 In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
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Baby Mammoth Preserved for 50,000 Years Is Unveiled in Russia’s Siberia

 In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)

The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia's Siberia region who call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found.

Nicknamed Yana, the female mammoth weighs more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and is 120 centimeters (47 inches) tall.

Scientists believe that Yana was 1 year old when she died. Her remains are one of seven mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide.

Yana was found among the melting permafrost at the Batagaika crater in the far-eastern Russian area of Yakutia. Known as the “gateway to the underworld,” the crater is 1 kilometer deep and has previously revealed the remains of other ancient animals including bison, horses and dogs.

As permafrost melts, affected by climate change, more and more parts of prehistoric animals are being discovered.

Yana will be studied by scientists at Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, which has a dedicated mammoth research center and museum.

The university described the find as “exceptional” and said it would give researchers new information about how mammoths lived and adapted to their surroundings.