Medieval golden treasure found in Netherlands, is more than 1000 year old

Initially discovered in 2021 by a metal Detector...

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

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

The National Museum of Antiquities experts needed the time to clean, investigate, and date the treasure's objects, and they have now discovered that the youngest coin can be dated back to around 1250, implying that the treasure was buried at that time.

“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.

"Golden jewellery from the High Middle Ages is extremely rare in the Netherlands," according to the museum. 

While it is unknown why the treasure was buried, the museum stated that in the middle of the 13th century, there was a war raging between Dutch regions West Friesland and Holland, with Hoogwoud serving as the epicenter. 

According to Lorenzo, it is possible that someone powerful at the time buried the valuable objects in order to protect them and hopefully recover them once it was safe again.

The treasure was loaned to the museum that will display it because of its archaeological significance, but it will remain the official property of finder Lorenzo Ruijter.