A Slovenian river full of ancient treasures
Submitted by coldrum on Tuesday, 19 December 2006 Page Views: 1175
DiscoveriesArchaeologist Andrej Gaspari is haunted by pieces of the past. His hometown river, the Ljubljanica, has yielded thousands of them - Celtic coins, Roman luxuries, medieval swords-all from a shallow 12-mile (19 kilometers) stretch. Those who lived near and traveled along the stream considered it sacred, Gaspari believes.That would explain why generations of Celts, Romans, and earlier inhabitants offered treasures - far too many to be accidental - to the river during rites of passage, in mourning, or as thanksgiving for battles won.
But Gaspari may never be able to explain for certain why the Ljubljanica holds one of Europe's richest stores of river treasures, many of them remarkably preserved by the soft sediments and gentle waters. Too many pieces of the puzzle have already disappeared. During the past two decades, sport divers have made the river their playground, removing most of some 10,000 to 13,000 objects found so far. Even though removing artifacts from the Ljubljanica has long been illegal, professional archaeologists have been forced to compete with private collectors. Some divers sold their loot to museums; others to the highest bidder. Some kept their treasures private. Many artifacts have left the country, untraceable.
More: National Geographic.
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