Varna golden treasure

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Varna golden treasure

The Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis was accidentally found in October 1972. It is situated about 500 m north of the Varna Lake and about 4 km west of the downtown of Varna. Area from about 7 500 sq. m. was explored and were found more than 3000 golden objects dating back 6000 years ago were discovered in 294 graves. The Varna treasure is the oldest treasure in the world.
The whole inventory from some of the most significant graves is exhibited in 6 rooms in Varna Archaeological museum. On both sides of the entrance are represented the graves with masks of human faces shaped out on spot and appliquéd with gold plates. The rich variety of funeral utensils is most expressive in two of the symbolic graves. In grave 4 have been found two unique vessels where the typical for the time decoration of strongly stylized geometrical symbols is fulfilled in golden paint.

More than 850 golden objects have been found in grave 36. The type of the objects implies donation dedicated to the stockbreeding deities – two of the gold plates represent animal figures, there are also 30 heads of horned animal and an astragalus for playing with a hole for hanging on a chain. Grave 43 is a complete reconstruction of a man’s grave as found. Impressive is the height of the buried – about 1,70 m. and the funeral inventory with him – 990 pieces of gold objects weighting 1,5 km. numerous copper tools, flint and pottery. This obviously is the grave of a leader or a priest.
The Varna Eneolithic Necropolis by the richness of the artifacts remains without an analog among the archeological discoveries of the epoch. Rising incredibly high scientific emotion the discovery turned into a sensation in the scientific world and was announced “the archeological discovery” of the century.