Lake drained in failed treasure hunt for Roman gold

A 12,000 year old lake was destroyed after a team of treasure hunters carried out an authorized excavation to unearth ancient gold in Turkey's northern Gümüşhane province in 2019. Located in the Taşköprü Plateau, Lake Dipsiz (Bottomless) was drained after an application to the Gümüşhane Governor's Office to carry out an excavation.

The governor and the Gümüşhane Culture and Tourism Directorate both authorized the controversial excavation. No gold was found and the excavation was stopped after four days. The treasure hunters were trying to find gold of the 15th Apollinaris Legion (Legio XV Apollinaris), which was one of the four largest military units of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor. It was recruited by Octavian (Augustus) in 41/40 BC. The legion was stationed in the area around 134. Dating back to the last ice age, Lake Dipsiz does not have a source of water.