Man Spots 'Relics' At The Mouth Of A Cave, Then Archeologists Look Closer And The Wild Reality Hits Them

In January 2021, Spain experienced unusually severe snowstorms — the worst in half a century, according to a government official. But despite the bad weather, in the Northern Spanish region of Asturias, a local man, Roberto García, spotted something bizarre smack dab in the wilderness that looked entirely out of place. A scattering of ancient coins sat strewn around on the ground at the mouth of a cave, prompting a slew of questions.

Scattered coins

Could the snowfall and this random scattering of coins be connected in some way? García could only speculate. But one thing he was sure of was that this was no pile of modern-day small change lying on the ground. It was clear enough that these coins were very old. Thinking fast, García knew what to do next.

Call the archaeologists

García contacted some archaeologists and tipped them off to the curiosity he’d just stumbled on. The mysterious scattering of coins — there were close to 100 of them — was at the mouth of La Cuesta cave. It’s close to the town of Berció, near the banks of the River Nalón, and some 230 miles north of Madrid.

An intriguing mystery

So García had done what any good citizen would: he’d informed the authorities about his inadvertent find. But he was still left with an intriguing mystery to consider. Why’d these ancient coins appear in the mouth of the cave at this precise time? And could there be a connection with the fact that Northern Spain had recently suffered from freezing blizzards, the worst for more than a generation?

Alfonso Fanjul

It was April before the architects were able to arrange a field trip to La Cuesta cave. The small group was led by Alfonso Fanjul and the researchers were soon able to identify the type of coins that were lying at the mouth of the cave. The items were from the days of ancient Rome, when the Roman Empire extended into what today is Spain and Portugal.

More than 200 coins

The coins dated from 200 to 400 A.D. And when the archaeologists excavated the area around where the coins had laid, they came across more of them. By the time they’d finished digging the team had a total of 207 coins. That made it the biggest cache of coins ever uncovered in a cave in Spain. And Fanjul believes there may be more to find.

A unique moment

Speaking to CNN, Fanjul explained, “We’ve taken out the first deposit but we think there’s a lot more to take out.” He went on to describe just what the find meant to him as an archaeologist. “It’s a unique moment that you dream about from a young age,” he admitted. “It’s an exceptional moment that you never think you will have as an archaeologist.”

Mediterranean coins

So where did the coins originate from? The majority of them came from ancient cities on the northern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean such as Constantinople, now Istanbul in Turkey; Thessaloniki, which is in modern Greece; and Antioch, today the Turkish city of Antakia. They’d probably have travelled through Rome then France before ending up in Spain. Just one of the coins was made in London.

Who buried the treasure?

Aside from the mystery of how these coins had ended up on the surface of the cave mouth, there was another puzzle. Who’d buried this treasure some 1,500 years ago? And why’d they felt the need to conceal this wealth? Fanjul believed that he had a plausible answer to those questions. It was all to do with what was happening in Spain back in the 5th century.

Decline of the Roman Empire

The 5th century was a time when the Roman Empire was contracting rapidly, with many territories seeing incursions and rebellions from hostile tribes. This was apparent in Spain where warriors from the north began to make inroads. Notable among them were the Suebi people, who were of Germanic origin. They caused upheavals and struck fear into the local inhabitants.

Pax Romana

After all, the Romans had subdued almost all of modern-day Spain and Portugal by early in the first century A.D. So by the time those coins were hidden in the La Cuesta cave, the people who lived in Northern Spain had been benefitting from Pax Romana — Roman stability and peace — for four centuries and more. But that peaceful period came to an abrupt end, replaced by chaos and anarchy.

Instability

Speaking to CNN about the stashing of the treasure, Fanjul revealed, “We think it’s a reflection of the social and political instability that came along with the fall of Rome and the arrival of groups of barbarians to Northern Spain.” He added that it might well have been refugees fleeing invaders who decided to hide their worldly wealth in the cave.

A credible scenario

So now we have a credible scenario as to why those coins might’ve been buried in that particular cave at that particular time. There’s nothing quite like the appearance of invading Barbarians to make people think it’s time to hide their most valuable possessions as best they can. Better that than to leave valuables at the mercy of ruthless looters.

Who or what revealed the coins?

But we’re still left with our modern-day mystery. Why were those coins that’d been safely buried so long ago now lying exposed at the mouth of the cave in the year 2021? Well, Fanjul was able to come up with an answer quite quickly once he was onsite to see things for himself: badgers. Unlikely as it might sound, that was it — the coins had been dug up by badgers.

Digging up history

Fanjul confirmed the badger story in his interview with CNN. He said, “When we arrived we found the hole that led to the badger’s nest and the ground around it full of coins.” And he added to USA Today, “We were shocked to find 90 coins just in the floor outside a nest of a badger. We didn’t know how many could be underground or even if we could find more valuable objects.”

Badgers don’t go shopping

Yet why on Earth would a badger want to dig up a bunch of coins? Badgers, as far as we know, don’t go shopping. In any case, you can’t spend ancient Roman coins in any store we’re familiar with. And you certainly can’t eat metal money. But hunger might well be the key to this seemingly strange badger behavior.

Food shortage

You’ll recall that we mentioned the unusually severe winter conditions that Spain had been suffering in the days leading up to Roberto García's discovery of the coins. Hard frost, freezing temperatures, and driving snow are bad enough for us humans. But if you’re a wild animal such as a badger, that kind of weather can be catastrophic. Because how do you find food when the conditions are so bad?

Archeologists would never have found it

It seems highly likely that this badger was searching for something to eat when it dug up the coins. So it can’t have been too pleased with the results of its frantic digging. But Fanjul and his colleagues were delighted. Without the help of the badger, the archaeologists wouldn’t have found this cache of coins from the Roman era any time soon. Perhaps never.

An exceptional contribution

In the paper the researchers published about the find, The Late Roman hoard of La Cuesta cave in Berció, they pointed out that “the quantity of coins recovered, as well as the undoubted archaeological interest of the transition to the early medieval period, make the hoard discovered at Bercio an exceptional find.” But experts uncovered an even richer relic from this Roman period, just a bit further south that's changing what we know about European history.

Artifact unearthed

The climate at this site in the southern region of Spain was a bit more difficult for archeologists to navigate, but it had already been subject to previous archeological investigations. Although these earlier excavations didn’t uncover everything, experts had the sense to keep looking. It was this dedication that, in the end, culminated in the discovery of an elaborate coffin.

Intriguing designs

This ancient sarcophagus was adorned in shapes and patterns – evidently the result of some intricate carving work long ago. But what did all the markings mean, exactly? Were these specific designs significant? Clearly, the researchers needed to work hard and carefully in order to get to the bottom of these questions.

Germanic conquest

The experts eventually managed to trace the coffin back to the sixth century, which was an interesting period in this region of southern Spain. At that time, tribes of Germanic tribes were sweeping through Europe – taking over areas once under the control of the Roman Empire. Often, these people would take existing Roman structures and refashion them for their own uses.

Roman villa

This coffin, then, appeared to represent evidence of this exact situation having once occurred in the area. The site had been home to a Roman villa, but it had gone on to become something else entirely. And this shocked the archeologists, as they weren’t expecting a find quite like this.

Enduring legacy

Spain is a fascinating place for historians and archeologists – particularly for those concerned with ancient Rome. The region was once a pivotal spot within the civilization’s sphere of influence, and evidence of that past can be seen throughout the country today. In fact, the area owes much of its present character to the Romans.

Dawn of a new era

The Romans arrived on the Iberian Peninsula back in 206 B.C. and came from the south. They battled with the peoples of the land and eventually overcame them in the area of modern-day Seville. Victory here represented the beginning of the Roman era in the region, which would endure for some seven centuries.

Holding out

Though the Basques and Celts in Spain’s northern regions kept the Romans at bay for many years. That part took until the year 19 B.C. to finally be conquered, which was almost 200 years since southern Spain had been taken. From this point on, though, the whole swathe of land was firmly under Roman control.

Rich lands

The Murcia region of modern Spain was once a really important area for the Romans, as it was abundant in useful raw materials. The place was rich in minerals that were used to forge silver coins, while the area also contained plenty of esparto grass. And this was apparently weaved into a textile.

Sustaining an empire

Murcia was also home to abundant sources of nourishment, which was clearly beneficial for the empire. Wheat fields provided grain to help keep soldiers fed, while olive oil and fish sauces were also produced in the area. Aside from that, valuable and useful rocks like marble and sandstone were also mined in Murcia.

Roman influence

The Romans extracted a lot from Murcia, then, but they also brought their own innovations to the region. Novel farming methods were a particularly notable change, and they transformed the region’s landscape. In addition to introducing new ways of working the land, the Romans also built their villas in the area.

Villas everywhere

When we use the word “villa,” what comes to mind? Well, when it comes to the ancient Romans it generally refers to one or several buildings raised on agricultural lands. Laborers would normally live in these places and enjoy easy access to work the land. In fact, many ruins of such structures can be found across the south of Spain.

Changing times

By the time of the Roman Empire’s greatest strength, the villas throughout the Iberian peninsula were largely workhouses. That is, laborers lived there and worked the land, while the owners would only visit. Over the following centuries, though, changes within the empire started to have an impact on these properties.

The decline of an empire

The Roman Empire eventually started to disintegrate, and as you might imagine, the inhabitants of Spain felt the impact. Even the more wealthy members of the civilization ran into difficulties, so those running farms had to make changes. Where once they only visited their villas, they now moved in permanently. This, in turn, saw the buildings themselves become more elaborate.

Work in progress

One great example of a Roman villa in Spain can be found today at the Los Villaricos archeological site. This place was apparently built during the first century A.D., though works continued on it for hundreds of years. Throughout this time, the nature of the villa changed alongside its layout and design.

A typical Roman villa

Historians posit that Los Villaricos is a prime example of a Roman villa. Why is that, though? Well, the site apparently has all the hallmarks you’d expect to see! It’s split into a residential and working area, with the latter containing buildings used for manufacturing and storage. In this specific place, it was olive oil and wine that were being made.

Phases of development

With all the changes experienced on the Los Villaricos site, it can be difficult to fully get to grips with its history. Having said that, experts have identified four main phases in its timeline, which makes it a little easier to understand. The first phase takes us back to the middle of the first century – before ending roughly 100 years later.

A unique discovery

This period in the history of the Murcia region broadly corresponds with a rise in Roman villas being constructed there. Plenty of other examples of ruins like this have been discovered throughout the area, though none are quite like Los Villaricos. In fact, its scale and highly preserved state are pretty much unparalleled.

New lease of life

The next developmental phase of Los Villaricos’ history is believed to have occurred between the late second and third centuries. During this time, the whole place was completely transformed. Old structures were torn down and new ones were raised, which gave the property the shape we can still see today. This was the peak of Los Villaricos’ beauty and functionality, when luxuries such as the thermal baths were installed.

Economic decline

The next phase occurred during the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth. Los Villaricos experienced some changes around then, though none were quite as dramatic as the ones seen in the previous phase. New mosaic floors were apparently set down, while the production areas were altered in a way that implies business was declining during this period.

Last legs

The fourth and final developmental phase of this remarkable villa started in the fifth century and ended in the first half of the sixth. This lines up with the point in history when the Roman Empire fell into a state of collapse – reflected in the fact that production on the site apparently ceased around this time. People continued to live in and around the area, though, and major changes had come to the site by this point.

Germanic tribes arrive

The coffin discovered in 2021 by archeologists at Los Villaricos likely comes from this period in the site’s history. When they dated the coffin, the experts found that it came from the sixth century. This was when the empire was failing and Spain was being conquered by Germanic tribes including the Visigoths.

The medieval period begins

Who were the Visigoths, though? Well, this group were the western contingent of the wider group of peoples known as the Goths, with the eastern tribes known as the Ostrogoths. Taken as a whole, the wider tribe were actually pivotal to the Roman Empire’s disintegration and the heralding of Europe’s medieval period of history.

Europe transformed

The Goths went on to steamroll across Europe – conquering lands which had once been under Roman control. Areas from the east of the continent all the way down to Spain in the south had fallen into the Goths’ sphere of influence. Yes, mainland Europe had suddenly become an entirely different place.

Forms of Christianity

Many of the tribes that made up the Gothic culture once practiced a German form of paganism. But then throughout the fifth and sixth centuries they apparently started converting to Christianity. During these earlier centuries of Gothic Christianity, though, people abided by a version of the religion that wasn’t accepted by the Romans.

Enduring structures

From a Roman perspective, the forms of Christianity originally practiced by the Goths were considered to be heretical, according to History.com. Around the seventh century, however, the Visigoths took on Catholicism for themselves. In fact, they even built Catholic churches on the Iberian Peninsula – many of which are still standing up to the present day.

New designs

It was the Visigoths who eventually moved into the Murcia region and the Los Villaricos site, which the tribe repurposed for themselves. And they transformed the patio area into something much more somber. Apparently, the Visigoths used it as a burial place, which would explain the coffin discovered there by the archeologists in 2021.

Visigoth necropolis

Speaking to Historia National Geographic, one of the archeologists involved in the excavation explained the team’s work. Rafael González Fernández explained that the experts were working in the section of the site that had been turned into a necropolis by the Visigoths. And it was here that they made their discovery.

An astonishing find

The team apparently hadn’t been anticipating a discovery as impressive as the one they eventually made. In fact, when the experts first came across the coffin, they presumed it was something else – like a regular old column. As González put it plainly to British newspaper The Times in July 2021, “We weren’t expecting this spectacular discovery.”

Beautiful carvings

If the priceless relic wasn’t an ancient column in the ground, then, what exactly was it? Well, the discovery turned out to be a sarcophagus – and it was covered in some amazing carvings. The coffin’s exterior was adorned with wonderful patterns and shapes, with some taking the form of ivy leaves. But they weren’t the most interesting carvings for the archeologists to ponder.

Chi Rho

Arguably the most notable shape carved into the lid of this coffin was a Chi Rho symbol, which has interesting implications. This shape is made by combining the first pair of letters in the Greek-language term for “Christ.” These are chi, which is denoted by an “X” shape, and rho, which looks like a “P.” Apparently, the Chi Rho symbol is representative of Jesus’ resurrection.

Visions

The Chi Rho symbol showed up in numerous works of art dating back to Christianity’s earlier days. But perhaps it was the monogram’s association with the Roman military that led it to become so commonly seen throughout Europe. Apparently, the Chi Rho was adopted by the empire’s forces after the emperor Constantine had a vision when he was saying a prayer.

The mystery within

The Chi Rho symbol on the lid of the coffin at Los Villaricos was undoubtedly eye-catching for the experts who’d found it. Though they still had to check what was actually inside the sarcophagus! Unsurprisingly, they found old bones, but interestingly it seems that they belonged to more than one person.

The mystery continues

We have no idea who the people inside the sarcophagus were, and we may never find out. But the discovery will hopefully add some color to what researchers already know about Los Villaricos’ transformation from a Roman agricultural site into a Visigothic burial place.

A hard act to follow

Though the discovery of this coffin was particularly notable for the archeological community, it wasn’t the first burial to be uncovered at the Los Villaricos site. Yet the other finds exhibit different kinds of features. Some are graves composed of stone, while others are made from bricks or pottery. In essence, all these things illustrate the different ways the site was used over the centuries.

The gift that keeps on giving

The remnants of another burial place were actually uncovered at Los Villaricos back in the 1990s. Unfortunately for experts, though, this tomb had clearly been tampered with over the years. People had reportedly stolen stuff from the site, which makes the job of researchers all the more difficult to do.

Mysterious bones

Nonetheless, certain details could be extrapolated from the find, according to Murcia Today. It was clear to experts, for example, that they’d found a tomb for two individuals, who were separated by a wall. Little remained of the bodies there – aside from a few pieces of bone – but much could still be seen of the stonework decorating the chamber.

Different burial methods

The sheer variety of the kinds of burials at Los Villaricos really illustrate how much the area changed over the centuries. Much can be deciphered from the study of a culture’s burial practices, and Los Villaricos only reinforces the point. With different systems of belief in place at varying points in time, the way in which people were buried there changed.

Work continues

The excavations at Los Villaricos are the culmination of the efforts of many different people from a variety of institutions. The University of Murcia has left a particular mark on the site, though many other archeologists have also been involved over the years. Yep, it seems that interest in Roman history shows no signs of abating any time soon!

Pride of place

A local councillor spoke to National Geographic about the discovery of the coffin and what comes next for it. Translated from Spanish, Diego J. Boluda commented, “This sarcophagus... shows the archeological power of [Los Villaricos] and confirms our commitment to the University of Murcia. Undoubtedly, the piece will occupy a preferential place in the Museum of the City of Mula.”