Skip to primary navigationSkip to main contentSkip to footer
  • SearchToggle Search Menu
Rasmussen Diamonds logo
  • AccountToggle My Account Menu
    Forgot Password?

    Don't have an account? Sign up now

  • WishlistToggle My Wishlist

    You have no items in your wish list.

    Browse
  • My BagToggle Shopping Cart Menu

    You have no items in your cart.

    Browse
  • Engagement Rings
  • Wedding Bands
  • Jewelry
    Rings
    Rings
    Bracelets
    Bracelets
    Necklaces & Pendants
    Necklaces & Pendants
    Earrings
    Earrings
    Watches
    Watches

    Explore All Jewelry
  • Education
  • Our Store
    Staff
    Staff
    History
    History
    Services
    Services
    Our Blog
    Our Blog

    Explore All Our Store
  • Contact
  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. 169 Gold Rings Discovered in 6,500-Year-Old Tomb Near Biharia, Romania

169 Gold Rings Discovered in 6,500-Year-Old Tomb Near Biharia, Romania

Published: Aug 15, 2022
169 Gold Rings Discovered in 6,500-Year-Old Tomb Near Biharia, Romania
Author: 
Howard Cohen

A team of archaeologists has uncovered a hoard of 169 gold rings dating back 6,500 years during the excavation of a burial site near the Romanian-Hungarian border. The tomb was discovered during the construction of a new road linking the Romanian city of Oradea with the A3 freeway.

The rings, which weigh a combined 200 grams (0.44 pounds), were extracted from a tomb of a "high status" woman near Biharia, Romania, according to a statement from the Tarii Crisurilor Museum.

During a recent press conference, Dr. Calin Ghemis described how the 169 gold rings were not intended to be worn on the woman's fingers but, instead, adorned her hair. Also found in her tomb was a multi-spiral copper bracelet, two golden beads and about 800 mother-of-pearl beads. Based on an examination of her teeth and stature, the Tiszapolgár woman is believed to have been a person of high social status.

Ghemis said the find is "sensational" because the total number of gold pieces ever recovered from the Carpathian Basin — a vast area centered on modern-day Hungary, but also including parts of Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria — is only 150.

"Here, there are over 160 in just one inventory,” he said.

Gold items representing the Tiszapolgár culture (4500–4000 BC) are very rare because gold was very hard to come by in that prehistoric time period. The rings were made from alluvial gold extracted from sand using a washing process that removes the lighter sand and leaves the dense gold particles. This time period pre-dates the technique of extracting gold from rock.

Labs in Romania and the Netherlands will be using carbon-14, DNA analysis and anthropological research to determine a precise dating of the tomb's contents. After the analysis is completed, the hoard will go on display at the Tarii Crisurilor Museum in Oradea, Romania.

Credits: Images courtesy of Tarii Crisurilor Museum. Map by Google Maps.

Categories
Latest Articles
Read Article: Jewelry Through the Ages
Jewelry Through the Ages
Read Article
Read Article: A Guy's Guide to Last Minute Gift Buying
A Guy's Guide to Last Minute Gift Buying
Read Article
Read Article: Winter Style Watch
Winter Style Watch
Read Article
Read Article: Why Shop Small?
Why Shop Small?
Read Article
Read Article: Capturing Brilliance
Capturing Brilliance
Read Article
See more
  • Previous Article
  • Next Article
Rasmussen Diamonds
Rasmussen Diamonds
6220 Washington Ave
Mount Pleasant, WI 53406
(262) 884-9474
1(866) 586-9474
Store Information
Store Hours
Mon - Fri:10:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday:10:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday:Closed
Policies
  • Privacy Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Best of Racine County 2023
  • The Knot

© 2025 Rasmussen Diamonds. All Rights Reserved. Website designed, maintained, and hosted by Punchmark. Accessibility Statement.

Learn how we use cookies in our Privacy Policy or manage cookie preferences.