Construction work halted: A treasure more than 2,000 years old discovered in the ground

An ancient hoard of Celtic coins, over two thousand years old, was discovered at a construction site on Mount Zingen in Thuringia, Germany. The hoard, consisting of 11 silver coins of the 'quinarius of the Prague type', is the largest of its kind found in the region. The discovery provides insights into ancient trade routes.

A fascinating ancient hoard of Celtic coins, hidden in the ground for over two thousand years, was recently uncovered at a construction site in Germany, following excavations conducted in August 2026 on Mount Zingen in preparation for a new fire station. The hoard, discovered by excavation director Roni Kraus in an area previously used as a sports field, constitutes the most significant and largest collection of Celtic coins ever found in this region from this period. The 11 coins were dated to the first century BCE and identified as the 'quinarius of the Prague type'. To date, only about 80 examples of this type of coin have been identified across all of Thuringia, highlighting the rarity of the hoard. In addition to the Celtic coins, archaeologists at the site discovered an ancient Roman coin, a medieval glass bead, a knife fragment, another silver coin, and a Prussian uniform button from the 19th or 20th century. Authorities have defined the find as a 'closed find', meaning all coins buried together have been located. The article links the discovery to historical events in the Land of Israel during the same period, such as the Maccabean Revolt.