Archaeologists in Romania have unearthed melted metal treasure within the remains of a Roman-era family’s scorched house.
The treasure, which consists of coins and metal ornaments, likely belonged to an important family around 1,900 years ago, according to a translated statement from the National Museum of History of Romania, which led the research.
The metals melted and fused together during the fire, preserving the shape of the wooden box they were stored in, according to the museum. Individual coins also retained their circular shapes, though they have corroded over the centuries.
Other artifacts found in the same layer at the site included ceramic vessels, inscriptions and objects crafted out of bronze, iron, glass and stone, the statement reported.
The home itself was “sumptuous,” the statement said, with limestone paving and painted plaster walls. These details suggest the dwelling housed an elite family.
Archaeologists have preliminarily dated the artifacts to the second or third century A.D., during a period of the Roman Empire known as the Principate. During this time, beginning with the reign of Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and ending in A.D. 284, Roman society was restructured to concentrate power under a single emperor while maintaining some of the outward appearances of a republic.
The building and the archaeological remains within “are significant testimonies for the reconstruction of a moment in the life of the ancient fortress during the Principate period,” the translated statement reads. The findings, alongside other discoveries from the site that include roads, water pipes and an oven, are helping archaeologists reconstruct what Histria may have looked like during the Roman Empire.
The artifacts are now part of the National Museum of History of Romania’s collections. There, they will undergo further investigation, restoration and conservation before being placed on display. The museum has not yet announced when the artifacts will be displayed publicly.