At the bottom of the pit, the pile of trash looked terrible, but the actual situation was better than expected. At least the fragments retained some recognizable form, not so degraded that no clues remained.
Due to the low moisture content in the soil on the slope, most of the wooden box and the organic materials inside were relatively preserved. Although not in their original state, it was possible to discern what these items once were.
"A pile of old clothes and a half-rotten wooden box, what on earth is this?" At first glance, Liang En felt something was amiss. "This doesn't seem related to that mud seal."
"Wait, there seems to be something in the clothes." Jeanne d'Arc noticed something inside the damaged clothes. She used her hiking stick to move aside the decayed and carbonized garments, revealing a gleaming gold bracelet.
"This should be from the 16th or 17th century, and judging by the bracelet's craftsmanship, it likely belonged to a wealthy merchant or noble." Liang En examined the gold bracelet.
"I think this is just the beginning. If we're lucky, the box should contain more items, all of similar nature."
Sure enough, as they continued digging, more gold and silver items emerged, totaling over 7kg of silver and about 1kg of gold.
Most of these precious items were jewelry, with a few pieces of tableware and other small objects. Among these, Liang En found what he was looking for: a gold ring inlaid with chalcedony.
"Yes, this should be a ring made in Hellenistic Egypt." After examining the ring, Liang En said, "It matches the seal on the mud."
The carvings on the chalcedony corresponded exactly to the text and patterns on the mud seal. The ring itself was likely used to seal books in the Library of Alexandria during the Ptolemaic era.
"Is this ring historically significant?" Jeanne d'Arc looked curiously at the exquisitely carved but clearly worn gold ring.
"I know the Library of Alexandria, one of the most famous knowledge centers in the Western world. This seal ring must be very important."
"Relative to the library, this small ring is of little value. However, for us, it can help restore part of important historical truths."
Only 1% of human history is known through records; the other 99% is the task of archaeological research. Archaeology is crucial for modern humans to understand ancient human activities.
Through archaeological excavations, the historical process of humanity can be perfectly connected and unified, rather than relying on incomplete and often significantly blank historical records to understand our past.
For example, historical books in any country usually record major events, rarely detailing the lives of ordinary people.
Although some notes record the lives of people at that time, these records are very fragmented and cannot fully satisfy the restoration of the situation of that era.
To understand ancient history, objects like this ring are essential research subjects. For instance, this simple ring reveals many valuable things.
The ring's style is a standard ancient Greek style, but besides Greek text from the Library of Alexandria, it also features a small statue of the Egyptian god Thoth.
The statue, depicting a human body with an ibis head wearing a full moon disc and crescent crown, is easy to recognize. Unlike traditional Egyptian statues, this one appears more human-like.
This indicates that while the god's animal head was unchangeable, the body was more realistic, reflecting Greek advancements in human sculpture.
This also shows the cultural integration between Greek and Egyptian civilizations during the Hellenistic period, highlighting the era's civilizational changes.
Apart from this Egyptian ring, the treasure contained five or six valuable antiques from the 16th and 17th centuries, indicating the owner had a special fondness for antique jewelry.
However, what puzzled Liang En was that these jewels showed signs of having their inscriptions removed. After careful inspection, he confirmed that the engravings had been intentionally erased.
"These items likely belonged to a wealthy person, possibly of high status." Liang En pondered over the pile of treasures. "The only question is why someone would erase all identifying marks from these jewels."
"There are two possibilities," Jeanne d'Arc speculated, holding a scratched bracelet. "One, they were sold by a declining noble family that erased their coat of arms to avoid shame."
"Or two, the original owners had significant issues, leading people to erase their traces. But historically, such treatment was rare and reserved for very few individuals."
"You are right, but here we have such a case." Liang En sighed, looking at the unearthed jewels. "I can't shake off the feeling of unease without understanding the situation behind this."
"Can we analyze the jewels' styles?" Jeanne d'Arc suggested, seeing Liang En's frustration.
"Jeanne, it's impossible. These jewels are from various countries. For wealthy and noble individuals of that time, buying jewels from other European countries, or even the Middle East, was normal."
Ancient international trade, limited by transportation and conflicts, was far less than today. However, luxury items like jewelry and spices, which were small and highly profitable, were common in trade.
Wealthy individuals found it easy to obtain foreign jewels through international trade, and those with status preferred famous jewels.
In Eastern Europe, it was fashionable to buy jewels from places like Paris or Amsterdam. Buying local jewels could be seen as a sign of lack of sophistication.
The jewels in this treasure are no different. Their abundance indicates the owner's wealth and status, so choosing imported jewels isn't surprising.
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