ABOUT THE GOLDEN TREASURE OF PANAGYURISHTE
The Golden Treasure of Panagyurishte dates to the end of 4 th and the beginning of the 3 century b. c. It was found in 1949, two km. far from the town of
Panagyurishte. It consists of nine ritual utensils made from real gold and weighs 6 kg. From the inscriptions is determined that the utensils are made in the town of Lampsakos, which is situated at the beach of Asia Minor.
Four of the rhytons are formed like heads or bodies of animals. The decoration portrays mythic scenes connected with famous heroes from the antiquity. At one of those rhytons is represented a solemn feast of Dionis wedding with Crete’s princess Ariadna. The other three portray head of Amazon.
The most interesting shape and decoration has the big amphora utensil, which handles are in the shape of two struggled centaurs, and the two apertures on the bottom of the utensil are shaped like Negro’s heads. Between them is portrayed the figure of Herakle as a child, struggling with a snake.
The utensils of the Golden Treasure of Panagyurishte are completed as an exceptionally rich set with high art value for ritual present.
The treasure is exhibited in the
Archeological Museum in Plovdiv.
Nobody knows how those utensils have reached our land - as a military booty or as trade exchange. We also do not know who their owner was? Another question is why did the owner hide the treasure in the ground? Unfortunately we can’t give a precise answer to all of these questions, but what we can do is to enjoy it as a high art and unique certificate of the antiquity.
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