Civil War-era coin trove unearthed in Kentucky, 1,100-year-old Viking burial found in Norway, possible oldest settlement in North America discovered in Oregon.
$2 Million Trove Of Civil War-Era Coins Uncovered By A Kentucky Farmer Out Plowing His Cornfield
GovMintSome of the rarest coins uncovered as part of this $2 million trove are the 1863 Double Eagles, which can fetch a whopping six figures per coin at auction.
After Kentucky declared neutrality at the outset of the Civil War, tensions ran high as neighbors and families were pitted against each other. With the threat of bloodshed looming, increasingly anxious citizens were left with little choice but to bury their life savings in order to keep it safe.
Even many of the state’s wealthiest residents are known to have buried their riches, with one man named James Langstaff burying $20,000 on his property in Paducah while William Pettit stashed $80,000 near Lexington. To this day, these troves — some worth upwards of $3 million when adjusted for inflation — have never been found.
But now, one lucky farmer in Kentucky has uncovered a trove of 800 Civil War-era coins while out plowing his cornfield. With an estimated value of $2 million, these gold and silver pieces are now being referred to as “The Great Kentucky Hoard.”
In the words of rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett, “The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as the stunning number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage.”
A 1,100-Year-Old Viking Grave Was Just Uncovered In Southern Norway By A Family Renovating Their House
Joakim Wintervoll/Science NorwayAnne and Oddbjørn Holum Heiland with the Viking sword that they found on their property.
A man in Setesdal, Norway recently unearthed an 1,100-year-old Viking warrior’s grave while digging in his yard to build an extension on his home.
As Heiland removed the first layers of grass and topsoil, he came across an odd, oblong stone, though he thought little of it. The next layer of soil, however, revealed something even stranger: a piece of iron that looked strikingly similar to a blade.
Archaeologists Discover 18,000-Year-Old Rockshelter In Oregon That Could Be The Oldest Human Settlement In North America
University of OregonThe Rimrock Draw Rockshelter in eastern Oregon.
Archaeologists from the University of Oregon may have discovered remnants from the oldest human settlement in North America at the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter. Throughout the more than decade-long excavation there, the team has uncovered several items of interest, including a stone scraper imbued with bison blood and pieces of camel teeth.
Radiocarbon dating suggests that some of these items are as old as 14,900 years. Adjusted to a calendar scale, that’s 18,250 years, making these finds arguably the oldest examples of human occupation in North America.
