Priceless gold artifacts found at Abhayagiriya, Sri Lanka

Gold artefacts and coins were found inside a golden casket recovered from the Abhayagiriya site last week.

[Credit: Anuradhapura Corr]

The casket, 49 mm high and 35 mm wide, believed to be dating back to 2nd Century AD, was opened by Archaeological Director Prof T. G. Kulathunga.

Inside the golden casket was another golden container, somewhat heart-shaped, wrapped in gold foil.

Upon opening the second box, the archaeologists found an amulet made of gold along with some beads and gold nuggets. The amulet was sealed and the archaeologists expect to open it in a laboratory.

The second box is 42 mm height. The lids of both box and casket had been decorated and studded with gem-like coloured stones.

It had not yet been determined whether those stones were gems, Prof Kulatunga said.

The casket was found at the excavation site at the North East of the Abhayagiriya Stupa. It was found by a team, led by Excavation Research Officer U. G. Madusha Lakmali. They also found some coins, known as Punch-marked coins, which had been the earliest used coins in this country, from the same site.

Prof Kulatunga said that crystal pinnacles, Laxmi coins, beads, and amethyst stones had been found during previous excavations at the same site.

TANN