Ancient gold treasure puzzles Greek archaeologists

A PRICELESS gold wreath has been unearthed in an ancient city in northern Greece, buried with human bones in a large copper vase that workers initially took for a landmine.

The University of Thessaloniki has said that the astonishing discovery was made during its excavations this week in the ruins of ancient Aigai. The city was the first capital of ancient Macedonia, where King Philip II — father of Alexander the Great — was assassinated.

Gold wreaths are rare and were buried with ancient nobles or royalty. But the find is also highly unusual as the artifacts appear to have been removed from a grave and, for reasons that are unclear, reburied in the city’s marketplace near the theatre where Philip was stabbed to death.