Scientists have found a treasure trove of 2,000-year-old Roman coins that may have been hidden by a soldier during the bloody civil war in Italy. This has been reported by Live Science. Archaeologists have today found a treasure trove of 175 silver coins, Roman denarii, equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars. The coin was hidden in a terracotta pot and must have been deliberately buried. Researchers discovered the treasure in 2021, but kept the discovery a secret so that the site could be fully explored.

The coins date back to 82 BC. At this time, Italy entered the civil war. The area where the treasure was located was probably wooded at the time. No artifacts were found near the treasure, but the remains of a Roman farm were found about a kilometer away.

Thinking that the owner did not return for the coins, scholars hypothesized that the treasure may have been hidden by a Roman soldier who later died in battle. But historian Federico Santangelo, a professor at the university, told Live Science that the coins may have been hidden by a businessman who wanted to keep his money safe in times of trouble. Maybe he couldn’t find them later.