Famished Badger Accidentally Unearths Ancient Roman Coins

By JJ Foster -

A hungry badger helped Spanish archeologists discover hundreds of ancient Roman coins in a small cave in the woodlands outside of Grado. According to experts, the animal must have unearthed the treasure after venturing into the cave to find food since it couldn’t find any after a heavy snowstorm.

The Badger Had Left a Crumb Trail of Coins

Archeologists first noticed several coins laying on the ground near the entrance of the cave. After fully exacting the area, they discovered a total of 209 coins dating between the third and fifth centuries A.D.

Further analysis has proved that the coins, which were mostly made from bronze and copper, had been minted at different locations throughout the Roman Empire, including London, Thessaloniki, and Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).

It’s the Largest Trove of Roman Coins to Date

The discovery, which was made with the aid of a badger, was described as exceptional by the archeologists, who also admitted that this is the largest collection of Roman coins found in a cave in northern Spain. In comparison, the previous largest trove, which is known as the Chapipi Treasure, was founded in the late 1930s and featured “only” 14 gold Roman coins. However, it’s interesting that it was also made in the same woodlands. Researchers believe that local inhabitants may have buried their coins for safekeeping during a period of intense political unrest in the region and the Roman Empire.

The Roman coins unearthed by the badger

The “most recent” coin in the newly discovered Grado collection, dates back to 430 A.D., which is after the invasion of the Suebi, a group of Germanic people who pushed the Romans out of Spain in the early fifth century.

Archeologists suspect that the Grado collection is part of a much larger hoard and are planning to return to the cave for further excavations. And maybe this time an animal different from a badger will help them find their treasure.