Saturday, November 13, 2021

The Stronghold of Cape St. Atanas

In 2013, 7 gold coins were found near the Bulgarian town of Byala, Varna. The coins are 4.5 grams each of 98% pure gold. One of them was minted during the reign of Emperor Justinian I the Great, and the rest are from the time of Justin the First. The treasure was found buried in a sealed ceramic container at the ancient stronghold of Cape St. Atanas. It dates to the sixth century B.C. “The White Rocks” in Byala was in the immediate vicinity of a famous Roman travel station/Templum Iovis and there was a stronghold around it. The station was named after the temple of Zeus.
Justin I, also called Justin the Thracian was Eastern Roman emperor from 518 to 527. Born to a peasant family, he rose through the ranks of the army to become commander of the imperial guard and when Emperor Anastasius I Dicorus died, he out-maneouvered rivals and was elected at age 68. His reign is most significant for the founding of the Justinian dynasty that included his nephew, Justinian I, and three succeeding emperors.
Around the time of the coins' burial, the area was populated with the remains of the Roman Empire. In the fourth century the 7 coins could buy 300 kg of wheat, 1 horse, 10 pigs or 3000 liters of wine. 7 gold coins was about a standard Roman soldier's annual salary. Varna, the area's main city, is famous as the site where the oldest golden treasure in the world was found.

No comments:

Post a Comment