The Brad Treasure

Narration text

Let us finish with a treasure in the literal sense. In 1982, in the Cucuteni settlement at Brad, on the high terrace of the Siret river in Bacău County, archaeologists found an askos-type vessel hiding about 480 objects. Here is what it held: two copper bar bracelets with twisted ends, two copper wire rings, a copper axe with crossed arms, more than 270 copper beads, beads of marble and of a blackish paste, 190 perforated deer canines and two conical gold discs.

Gold is extremely rare in Cucuteni settlements, which makes these two pieces exceptional. The deer-tooth necklace tells a story too: each tooth came from a hunted animal, and their great number displayed the wearer's prestige. The treasure was carefully hidden, perhaps at a time of danger.

Its owner never came back to recover it, and thanks to that, we can admire it today.