A team of researchers led by Professor Christopher Ratté from the University of Michigan has uncovered a treasure trove of Persian gold coins in the ancient Greek city of Notion, located in western Turkey. The find, consisting of a collection of gold coins known as darics, is believed to have been used to pay mercenary troops and offers valuable insights into the history and chronology of the Persian Empire.

The coins were discovered in a small clay vessel during excavations at Notion, which were initiated in 2022. The vessel was buried beneath a large courtyard house, with the coins found in the corner of a room within a structure beneath the Hellenistic house. The treasure was unearthed in July 2023, and the discovery has now been made public with permission from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The darics are a distinctive type of gold coin issued by the Persian Empire, featuring the image of a kneeling archer. These coins were minted from the late 6th century BCE until the Persian Empire’s conquest by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. According to Professor Ratté, the coins were likely minted in Sardis, approximately 95 kilometers northeast of Notion.

Greek cities in Asia Minor, Notion was the southernmost
Greek cities in Asia Minor, Notion was the southernmost. Credit: Dodecaedro / Rowanwindwhistler / Wikimedia Commons

The dating of the coins to the 5th century BCE is particularly significant, as it provides a firm anchor point for historians studying the chronology of Persian currency. Previous attempts to organize darics into a chronological sequence relied on stylistic differences, but the newly discovered hoard offers a rare opportunity to establish an independent date through associated artifacts.

Andrew Meadows of the University of Oxford, a former curator of coins at the British Museum and the American Numismatic Society, emphasized the importance of the archaeological context of this find. If the context can be established accurately by other means, he stated, we will be able to refine the chronology of Achaemenid gold coinage. This is a spectacular find of the utmost importance.

The city of Notion, incorporated into the Persian Empire along with other Greek cities on the western coast of Turkey in the mid-6th century BCE, played a significant role in the region’s tumultuous history. Although liberated from Persian control in the early 5th century BCE, it was reintegrated into the empire in the early 4th century BCE and remained under Persian control until Alexander the Great’s conquest in 334 BCE.

One of the coins discovered in Notion
One of the coins discovered in Notion. Credit: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

Notion’s strategic location made it a focal point for military operations and shifting allegiances. Ancient historians frequently mentioned the city’s involvement in conflicts between Persia and Athens. During the late 5th century BCE, the region was a battleground for various military campaigns. In one such episode between 430 BCE and 427 BCE, Persian sympathizers from nearby Colophon, aided by Greek and “barbarian” mercenaries, seized part of Notion. The Athenian general Paches later recaptured the city, expelling the Persian sympathizers and reorganizing it under Athenian supervision.

Such conflicts provide a possible context for the deposition and loss of the treasure, though other scenarios, such as the naval battle off the coast of Notion in 406 BCE or the Great Satraps’ Revolt in the 360s BCE, could also explain the hoard’s concealment and abandonment.

The Notion Archaeological Project, sponsored by the University of Michigan in cooperation with the University of Sinop and authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, continues to investigate the site’s rich history. The new field season has begun, with researchers hoping to clarify the archaeological context of the treasure and further study the coins, which are now housed at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Turkey.

An aerial view of the house shows the different phases and the discovery of the coins, as well as other artifacts
An aerial view of the house shows the different phases and the discovery of the coins, as well as other artifacts. Credit: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

The ongoing study of the darics is expected to provide more evidence about the date, function, and historical implications of this remarkable archaeological find. Professor Ratté and his team are optimistic that the excavation will yield more insights into the ancient city’s complex past, offering a window into the interactions between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states along Anatolia’s western coast.

SOURCES

University of Michigan

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