The oldest gold treasure in the world, only excavated in 1972, was not found in Mesopotamia or Egypt, the earliest written civilizations in human history. To everyone's surprise, it was discovered in northeastern Bulgaria, near the attractive, modern city of Varna and is more than 6000 years old ... "
*Prof. Colin Renfrew, Southampton, UK
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It was discovered in the Chalcolithic necropolis of Varna. It dates to the end of the 5th - the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. The finds from Varna gold are believed to be the oldest technologically processed gold in Europe and the world. Refers to the so-called Cultural Varna (4400 - 4100 BC). 294 Chalcolithic (Eneolithic) graves have been discovered. It was excavated and explored for 15 years by archaeologist Ivan Ivanov. Several graves are distinguished by exceptional finds of gold objects. This fact shows that in this early era of metalworking, the Balkans already had beginnings of state formation and the royal institution emerged. 850 gold objects found: tiara, earrings, necklace, breastplate, bracelets, belt, gold hammer, scepter, gold boomerang or sickle pattern, two gold plates representing animal figures, 30 stylized horned animals, gold astragalus (ashik). The so-called symbolic burials of a priest king who is a blacksmith.
The objects were covered with a gold-woven cover, decorated at the ends with gold appliqués in the form of sheep or goat horns. Tools are laid - awl and chisel. It also contains clay "masks" of human faces whose elements are marked with gold - eyes, mouth, teeth and nose. The "faces" are richly decorated with tiaras, earrings, a necklace, and the whole face is covered with a gold-colored veil adorned with small gold beads.
These symbolic burials are considered "female" and are interpreted as depicting the Mother Goddess. It is probably a ritual play of a "sacred marriage" between the king and the Mother Goddess. These 6 symbolic graves are the nucleus of the Chalcolithic necropolis and were probably laid at the beginning of its existence. The symbolism explains the role of the blacksmith in the transformation process - the ore is turned into metal and the metal into an object (weapons, ornaments). It is the mediator between the two worlds, namely nature - culture. For this reason, the role of the blacksmith is thought to be closely related to the sacral sphere, because myths tell us that metals originate from other worlds (water, caves) and only the blacksmith has access to them. He is the one who is aware of the secret and is responsible for protecting it. He was even worshiped as a god (the Thracian tribe honors the fallen Hephaestus as such).
The gold found is a real sensation. All over the world, the finds are known as the "Treasure of Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis" and the civilization to which it belonged "Cultural Varna". This is the highest amount of processed gold since the 5th millennium BC. worldwide. 7500 square meters have been excavated and 294 graves with more than 3000 ornaments of gold weighing over 6.5 kg have been discovered. This is the late Stone Age. Until before the discovery of the treasure, it was believed that the first metal to be processed by man is copper, but after these revelations it turns out that gold actually began to be used with copper and since ancient times was a symbol of power and power.
One recent study shows that Varna's treasure is the first evidence of human thought on our planet. As amazing as it may sound, the civilization that lived on our lands knew the golden section of Phi and the Pi number. Two gold bulls of different size were found in one of the many graves. The smaller bull has 45 points and the bigger one has 56. These numbers, multiplied by the height of the bigger one, which is 58.17 mm, give the height of the great Pyramid of Cheops - 146.5 m.
Even more ancient can be called the treasure near the village of Hotnitsa, it dates from the 5th millennium BC. . It was discovered by accident in 1955 in construction works. The discoveries are over 5,000. Of particular interest are the gold objects discovered, copper implements, rich collections of vessels, tools and plastics. They are referred to as the oldest gold in the world, and the depth of which is discovered suggests that the discovered gold spirals are the oldest gold in the world. The techniques used are two: by pulling and knocking, 23.5 carats of pure natural gold!
Of particular importance to the discoveries in the village of Hotnitsa is the fact that gold was discovered in its true environment, not in graves and necropolises. It became clear that people lived and used jewelry on them, used them in their daily lives, for ornaments, not just for ritual purposes. Experts say that the civilization of the 5th millennium BC. made the gold ornaments found in the village of Hotnitsa, is older than the Egyptian and Sumerian ones. This is the most ancient civilization inhabiting our lands.
Michigan
