Someone buried treasure and vanished. Archaeologists just found it 3,000 years later

Kneeling on the valley ground, someone set down a wooden box and began to dig. They buried the box — and the treasures within — then vanished. The treasure went unnoticed for 3,000 years, but not anymore.

Armed with metal detectors, archaeologists set out into the valley near Oberhalbstein, Switzerland, the Archaeological Service of Graubünden said in a June 27 news release. Their systematic search hoped to uncover ancient Roman ruins.

While searching for evidence of the Roman military, they stumbled on a much older find: a 3,000-year-old collection of buried treasure.

Archaeologists excavated the site and uncovered 80 artifacts from between 1200 B.C. and 1000 B.C., or the late Bronze Age, the release said. Photos show the excavation area.

The items had been intentionally damaged to be unusable, placed in a wooden box, wrapped in leather and buried in the valley. Archaeologists identified the collection as an example of selective dumping, a practice which involved destroying and dumping valuable metal items, the release said.

Most of the buried treasures were metal objects, possibly linked to metal production in the Alps, archaeologists said. The collection included several pieces of raw copper, sickles, axes, part of a saw and jewelry pieces.

Photos show the buried artifacts after being excavated and cleaned. Many of the items have a blue-green tinge, while others have a tannish-white coloring.

The 3,000-year-old treasures were found near a known prehistoric settlement and a central transportation route that ran through the Alps, archaeologists said.

Thomas Reitmaier, an archaeologist for the Graubünden canton, described the find as unique for the area. The buried treasure will provide more insight into the culture and economy of the late Bronze Age, he said in the release.

The artifacts found in Oberhalbstein are the region’s largest and most important collection of its kind, officials said. The artifacts were found last fall but only recently announced.

Oberhalbstein is in Graubünden canton, the easternmost region of Switzerland, and about 100 miles southeast of Zurich.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Archaeological Service of Graubünden.

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