Spanish Water Worker Finds 2,500-Year-Old Gold Iron Age Necklace

A Spanish man stumbled upon an ancient treasure while doing work for a local water company.

Sergio Marciandi found a 2,500-year-old golden necklace, concealed among rocks in Cavandi, Asturias, according to CNN. 

Marciandi contacted archeologist Pablo Arias who then investigated the site and found a second necklace, which was broken into multiple pieces. 

“It’s really impressive,” Arias told CNN. 

The necklaces likely date to the Iron Age, a period which spanned roughly from 1200 BCE to 600 BCE. The jewelry shows signs of minor damage that indicate that someone actually wore it – likely an elite member of society. 

“Not everyone could afford one of these necklaces,” Arias told CNN. 

The archeologist told CNN that this discovery was especially significant because similar artifacts were found in the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to the development of modern archaeology. 

A contemporary discovery, from an intact site will give researchers the opportunity to discover new information. 

“We have very precise information about where they were found,” Arias told CNN. “It’s quite exceptional.”

Marciandi’s decision to immediately contact an archeologist was praised by the regional government who described the discovery as "an extraordinary development," according to CNN.

The Archaeological Museum of Asturias is planning to do further exploration of the area.

"A multidisciplinary team will be created, the most advanced in knowledge of the Iron Age, with experts from various national institutions. The best," museum director María Antonia Pedregal Montes said, according to Newsweek.