Gold
Golden dagger unearthed in Bulgaria
Archaeologists have unearthed a 5,000 year old dagger and more than 500 other gold items in central Bulgaria. The artifacts shed new light on ancient Thracian civilization.
The gold and platium dagger is in remarkable condition, and still retains its edge. It probably belonged to a high priest. The past two years have been extremely productive for Bulgarian archaeologists. Less than a month before, archaeologists unearthed a unique, 50-item collection of 2,400-year-old Thracian riches, including a golden wreath with an image of the Greek goddess Nike.
Via “SETimes.com”:http://www.setimes.com
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Diving for scraps of gold
The high price of gold has one treasure hunter going back to a previously salvaged wreck looking for the scraps. Only five bars of gold were left unaccounted for on the wreck of the Royal Merchant Ship Niagara, but those could now be worth more than $2 million New Zealand dollars (about $1.2 million US).
The ship was sunk by a German mine at the onset of World War II in 1940. Salvage operations in 1941 and 1952 recovered 585 bars of gold, leaving five bars resting on the bottom. Recent increases in the price of gold are making the 120 meter dive look profitable so Keith Gordon, of Tutukaka-based SeaRov Technologies, is going after them.
Via “The Northern Avocate”:http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/
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Visit the Reed Mine, America’s first gold mine
I bet you though that Sutter’s Mill, California was the site of America’s first gold mine, didn’t you? Actually it was the Reed Mine in Stanfield, North Carolina which opened in 1800. In fact, before the big California gold rush of 1849 North Carolina was the source of gold for the US Mint.
Gold was first discovered at the site by farmer John Reed in 1799. While working his fields in Cabarrus County, Reed’s son found a large yellow rock that was quite interesting. They hauled the 17lb. rock home where it made a fine doorstop for several years.
About three years later, a local jeweler identified the door stop as a gold nugget. He then ripped off the Reeds by purchasing it for $3.50 — one tenth of one percent of its actual value. A good deal for a door stop, but a bad deal for a giant nugget.
Now the mine is an historic site run by the North Carolina parks department. There’s a a museum, a gold-panning area, guided tours in a mine shaft, a stamp mill, wooded trails and a picnic area. You can even try your hand at panning for gold for just $2. Entrance to the park is free.
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