A diver hobbyist believed to detect debris. In reality, they were 50,000 Roman coins from the 4th century hidden under the sea.
Under the seabed, among Posidonia meadows and sand, a diver made a surprising discovery. Little did he imagine that he was floating over a real treasure trove. The underwater find, off the coast of Arzachena in northern Sardinia, has astonished archaeologists and historians alike, not only because of the quantity, but
The submerged treasure in Sardinia
, mostly folles, were issued after the and weighed around ten grams, many with a thin layer of silver on their surface. These coins, which circulated throughout the Roman Empire in Antiquity, lay covered by sand for over 1,600 years.
confirmed that it is a: “All the coins are in an extraordinary state of preservation. Even the few damaged ones still have readable inscriptions,” said Luigi La Rocca, director general of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape.
Between 30,000 and 50,000 pieces
estimate that the treasure includes between 30,000 and 50,000 coins. This number makes it one of the largest numismatic deposits ever found in the Mediterranean.
Along with the coins, fragments of amphorae, large containers used in Roman maritime trade, appeared. Their presence suggests that this stretch of the Sardinian coast was part of a trade route where goods from Asia and Africa converged.
Historical value beyond gold
Although the economic value of each follis is high for collectors, . The coins allow the reconstruction of aspects of the economic and political life of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, a period of profound transformations.
Once the experts complete the cleaning and cataloging process, they will be able to identify the emperors represented on the coins and follow the evolution of their designs. This analysis will help understand how coins were used as tools of propaganda and control in times of change.
Echoes of ancient trade
. Some remains seem to originate from North Africa, others from Eastern workshops. This reinforces the hypothesis that Roman trade routes were not linear, but networks where goods from different territories mixed on the same journey.
In the words of specialists, is a reminder of the vastness of the and of how the Mediterranean functioned as an economic highway over 1,600 years ago.
