10 December 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Rare 832 copper coins from the Portuguese era unearthed in Goa, India

In Sattari, Nanoda, in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, 832 copper coins that are believed to be from the 16th or 17th-century Portuguese era were found at a cashew farm.

Vishnu Shridhar Joshi, a farmer in Nanoda Bamber village, was clearing weeds at his cashew plantation a fortnight ago when he noticed a pot buried in the soil. After a little digging, Joshi discovered a vessel containing coins from a bygone era.

He handed over the coins to a team of state archaeologists. The Goa archaeology department, headed by Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, is preparing to carbon-date the coins to determine their exact age and historical context.

“A treasure has been discovered,” said director of archaeology Nilesh Fal Desai. “The coins are connected to the history of Goa’s erstwhile kingdoms and the people of the time. Prima facie, the coins are from the 16th or 17th century.”

Joshi had unknowingly discovered a “treasure” from centuries ago — 832 copper coins believed to have been minted in Goa around the 16th or 17th century when it was under Portuguese rule.

Goa was a Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961. The small coastal area was conquered by Afonso de Albuquerque (c. 1453-1515) and became an important trade hub for the Eastern spice trade. For 450 years, Goa was the capital of the entire Portuguese Empire east of the Cape of Good Hope.

The Archaeology department says the coins likely from the 16th or 17th Century, could offer insights into trade ties at that time. Photo: Indian Express

The rare discovery is now part of a study that will be undertaken by the state’s Department of Archaeology, which could offer insights into trade relations, commerce, and the economic history of Goa during the early years of Portuguese rule.

Officials said the “buried treasure” could offer insights into Goa’s numismatic history.

“Prima facie, from the alphabets and symbols, it appears that the coins were issued in the 16th-17th Century during the early years of Portuguese rule. On some coins, one side has a cross and an alphabet, which could be interpreted as the initials of a king, under whose kingdom the coins may have been circulated,” said Dr Nilesh Fal Dessai.

Joshi said the earthen pot was found at Haddiche Bharad situated on a hillock about 1km from the Kalasa nullah site.

The coins are expected to offer historical riches because they were found on the Ghat pathway connecting British India with Portuguese India.

Under Indian law, a treasure trove (buried treasure that has been lost or forgotten) is considered the government’s property. The law requires anyone who discovers such treasure to report to the authorities.

Related Articles

Genetic Analysis Reveals A Woman As The Highest-Ranking Individual In Copper Age Spain: ‘Ivory Lady’

6 July 2023

6 July 2023

According to a study published Thursday (July 6) in the journal Scientific Reports, the highest-status individual in ancient Copper Age...

The world’s northernmost Palaeolithic settlement has been discovered on Kotelny Island in the Arctic

20 August 2021

20 August 2021

During the Paleolithic period, hominins lived in tiny groups and subsisted by collecting plants, fishing, and killing or scavenging wild...

New rune discovery in Oslo

16 February 2022

16 February 2022

For the third time in a month and a half, archaeologists have found a new rune in Oslo. The artifact...

Archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old tiger shark-tooth knives in Indonesia

29 October 2023

29 October 2023

Excavations on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi have yielded an incredible find: two tiger shark teeth that were fashioned into...

Archaeologists Reveal First Settlement of Cimmerians in Anatolia

23 June 2023

23 June 2023

Continuing excavations in Türkiye’s central Kırıkkale province have revealed new findings indicating that Büklükale village was the first settlement of...

Historic Leeds cemetery discovery unearths an ancient lead coffin belonging to a late Roman aristocratic woman

14 March 2023

14 March 2023

Archaeologists in northern Britain uncovered the skeletal remains of a late-Roman aristocratic woman inside a lead coffin, as well as...

Ancient stone grenades discovered at Badaling Great Wall in Beijing

16 October 2023

16 October 2023

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed 59 ancient stone grenades from the ruins of a building in the western section of the...

Maya Farmers May Have Planned Population Growth Contrary to Thought

19 November 2021

19 November 2021

Contrary to what was thought, Maya farmers may have planned for population growth, says a new study. According to a...

1-meter tall bronze statue found in China’s Sanxingdui Ruins-Video

17 June 2022

17 June 2022

Chinese archaeologists have discovered a 1-meter tall bronze statue at the site of ancient Sanxingdui ruins site in southwest China’s...

New discoveries in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe: A Human statue with a realistic facial expression found in Karahantepe

30 September 2023

30 September 2023

New finds were discovered in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. At around 12,000 years old, Göbekli Tepe is the world’s oldest megalithic...

Archaeologists uncovered a ‘golden tomb’ during excavations in Armenia

26 March 2023

26 March 2023

A team of archaeologists made up of Polish and Armenian scientists has discovered a “golden tomb” containing two skeletons in...

Angkor Wat Reopens

26 April 2021

26 April 2021

After being temporarily closed on April 7 to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to locals, Apsara National Authority and Angkor...

3000 years old wooden wishing well discovered in Germany

7 January 2023

7 January 2023

In the town of Germering, in the Germany state of Bavaria, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a well-preserved Bronze...

China’s ancient water pipes show people mastered complex engineering 4,000 years ago without the need for a centralized state authority

16 August 2023

16 August 2023

A system of ancient ceramic water pipes, the oldest ever unearthed in China, shows that neolithic people were capable of...

A hungry Badger uncovers the largest collection of such coins ever discovered in northern Spain

11 January 2022

11 January 2022

Archaeologists have uncovered a rich trove of 209 Roman-era coins in northwestern Spain, due to the apparent efforts of a...