“Sensation funds” from Celtic times in Neumarkt
The Salzburg Museum speaks of a completed sensational find. The ancient valuables had already appeared in spring 2021, and the finds were officially presented on Monday.
“Comparable to Schnabelkanne”
A Celtic choker made of gold, a gold bangle and four gold rings, plus several silver coins: this morning historians and archaeologists are talking about a significant find, comparable to the Halleiner beaked jug (Tennengau) found in 1932 and the helmet from Pass Lueg (Pongau/ Tennengau) discovered in 1838 ) from the Bronze Age.
Location kept secret
It was agreed not to disclose the exact circumstances of the find, as well as its financial value. The finders do not want to go public, and the place of discovery is kept secret so as not to attract hobby treasure hunters.
Salzburg Museum Director Martin Hochleitner says: “It is common for the purchase price to be kept confidential. The special value is that the pieces are in a public museum – part of our cultural heritage.”
Treasure found by accident and dug up by professionals
It was only reported on Tuesday that the Celtic treasure was accidentally found while working in the forest, it was finally dug up by professional archaeologists from the Federal Monuments Office, explains the expert from the Federal Monuments Office, Peter Höglinger:
“It’s gratifying that the finders didn’t dig it up themselves. Luckily you addressed the experts. It is very rare that a depository fund is dug up regularly under controlled conditions.”
Since such finds in Austria belong half to the finder and half to the landowner, the valuables were first acquired – the Salzburg Museum Association bought them with donations. Now they will first be shown for a week in the Salzburg Museum and then examined in detail by historians.
Hideout or Sacrifice?
Little is known about the objects and their possible meaning. That is why the documentation of the site is so important. That helps with the classification and interpretation of the find, said Wendling.
Jewelry and coins may have been buried to hide them at a time of political and social crisis. But there could also be a cultic background, the find may have been an offering to the gods, the archaeologist suspected. Answers to such questions can only result from a scientific version with the find.
“Sensation funds” from Celtic times in Neumarkt
A gold treasure from the Celtic period was found in Neumarkt am Wallersee (Flachgau). These are golden jewelry and silver coins from the first century BC.