ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD

ROMAN, CELTIC ARTEFACTS UNEARTHED

BY ROMANIAN HIGHWAY WORKERS

ROMANIAN highway construction workers have stumbled onto a veritable treasure trove of Ancient Celtic, Roman and Greek coins and other artefacts.

In all, nine caches were found in what is being called one of the biggest archaeological discoveries in Romania, reports ROMANIA INSIDER.

Highlights include numerous bronze artefacts and over 280 Greek and Roman silver coins along the route of the future highway between Sibiu and Nadlac in Romania. One of the discoveries, a small iron replica of a chariot was deemed unique in the region. 

The objects, dating from the early Neolithic to the Medieval Ages, will be restored and placed on exhibit in May 2013.

A team of 40 Romanian and foreign archeologists are involved in the extensive dig which stretches for 40 kilometers across three counties, Sibiu, Alba and Hunedoara. 

This is one of the biggest archeological digs ever undertaken in Romania, according to Sabin Luca, director of the NATIONAL BRUKENTHAL MUSEUM.

The researchers discovered a Bronze age settlement and "the first level of colonization which could be connected to our ancestors dates from the Celtic era, in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC," according to Sabin Luca.

He said the small iron chariot is almost unique. In Celtic areas, it was customary for a tiny iron chariot to be buried alongside a full-size chariot, but in this case it was buried separately. The piece was in 80 pieces and its restoration took three weeks.

The archeologists found weapons, tools, weapon tips, heels and a stash of 280 silver coins, including Ancient Greek and Roman examples. 

"While hundreds of such silver caches have been found elsewhere, it is highly unusual for such a cache to be found at an archeological site by researchers. Discoveries are usually accidental," the Brukenthal museum director explained.