Archaeologists have uncovered a haul of jewelry created by an ancient Thracian tribal group that was renowned for creating exquisite gold objects and then hiding them to protect them from invading enemies. The artefacts were found at an ancient tomb at Sveshtari in Bulgaria and they include gold earrings, beads, ornaments and even pottery. The find dates back to the 3rd Century B.C. and reveals a culture inspired by Hellenistic Greece in the period following Alexander the Great’s death in 323 B.C. up until 146 B.C.

Archaeologist Diana Gergova says the relics date back to around the end of the fourth or beginning of the third century B.C. and were found in a well-preserved tomb that was discovered in 1982.

The first historical record of the ancient Thracians dates back to the time of the Iliad when they were described as allies of the Trojans in the Trojan War. The group inhabited an area in Southeastern Europe that covered the Bosphorus Strait, the Balkan Mountains and the Rodope Mountain range.

Behold the treasures –