A farmer harvesting sugar beets from his field near Opava in the eastern Czech Republic, dug up a unique gold belt dating to the Bronze Age. The finder, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the shiny yellow object crumpled into a ball. He rinsed it, straightened it out a little and realized this was an artifact of archaeological significance.
The decoration indicates that it was made at the turn of the Middle and Late Bronze Age, ca. 1400-800 B.C.
The first hypothesis was that the thin golden sheet of metal, which is around 50 centimetres long, was a tiara. However, after examining the object in greater detail, experts now believe it was actually part of a belt:
[Jiří Juchelka says,] “We realized that it was too long to fit on someone’s head. So we actually think it is not a tiara, but something much rarer – a part of a belt.
“Belts at the time were made of leather and this was strapped to its front part. It was crumpled when the finder found it, probably as a result of agricultural activity, so it is a miracle it has been so well preserved. It may be missing a few tiny parts, but otherwise it is in perfect condition.”
If you find a rare artifact the government will claim it their own because everything belongs to the government including you.
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