Archaeologists show off priceless gold haul

The bracelets, rings and other objects have been stored at Lower Saxony’s State Conservation Office since they were found in April 2011 near the town of Syke, while engineers prepared for construction of the so-called Nord Stream pipeline.

The haul includes 117 objects, the most recent of which appear to date from the Middle Bronze Age, around 1,000 years before Jesus’ birth.

Investigations have revealed that the gold likely came from Central Asia, although researchers are still unsure how it ended up in Europe.

Click here for a gallery of the priceless gold haul

“Why this gold find was put into the ground is still unknown,” state archaeologist Henning Haßmann told Die Welt newspaper.

According to Die Welt daily, the gold was found by an excavation engineer analyzing the construction site with a metal detector.

After it was removed by researchers, high-tech techniques, including x-rays and computer programmes, were used to analyze it. Officials are still trying to nail down a precise date and place of origin.

While activists have complained that construction of the Nord Stream pipeline – which stretches from Russia to Germany and will be fully completed later this year – is damaging to the environment, it is proving to be a boon for archaeologists.

In August 2011, researchers found Stone Age objects while performing excavations and they are currently investigating other sites.

The Local/DPA/mdm