On the valley floor, an individual knelt down and carefully laid a wooden box before commencing the act of digging. Within that box lay precious treasures, concealed from the world.

And then, as if vanishing into thin air, they disappeared, leaving behind the buried cache. For 3,000 years, this trove remained hidden and unnoticed, until now.

Equipped with advanced metal detectors, a team of archaeologists embarked on a mission into the valley near Oberhalbstein, Switzerland, as stated in a news release by the Archaeological Service of Graubünden on June 27.

Their purpose was to systematically explore the area, hoping to unveil traces of ancient Roman settlements, the Miami Herald reported.

In their pursuit of evidence pertaining to the Roman military presence, they stumbled upon a remarkable discovery that far predates the Roman era. Unearthed before them lay a collection of buried treasures dating back 3,000 years.

Delicately and meticulously, the archaeologists excavated the site, unearthing 80 artifacts from the late Bronze Age, specifically ranging from 1200 B.C. to 1000 B.C., as detailed in the news release.

The excavation area is vividly depicted in the accompanying photographs. These items had deliberately been damaged, rendered unusable, before being enclosed in a wooden box, swathed in leather, and buried deep within the valley.

The collection was identified as a striking example of selective dumping, a practice in which valuable metal objects were purposefully destroyed and discarded, as elucidated in the release.

The majority of the concealed treasures consisted of various metallic items, potentially associated with metal production in the Alps, as noted by the archaeologists.

Among the assortment were numerous pieces of raw copper, sickles, axes, fragments of a saw, and an array of jewelry pieces, all testament to the rich craftsmanship and material culture of the time.

Written by staff