A golden treasure

The world’s oldest gold treasure was discovered in Bulgaria. It was found at the “Varnenski Metropolit” and is believed to date from 4000–5000 BC. Excavations and research at the site continued for more than fifteen years, uncovering 294 graves containing gold finds. It consists of more than 850 gold objects covered by a cloth of gold fabric, with images of goat or ram horns at its edges. The objects vary widely, from jewellery, gifts and a sceptre to richly decorated clay masks with gold facial features—eyes, mouths and teeth—and stylised gold heads of horned animals. Scholars believe this treasure is the earliest discovered evidence of knowledge of the golden ratio, phi, and the number pi. Two bulls of different sizes were found in one grave; multiplying the number of dots on them by the height of the larger bull gives the height of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.