21 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Sensational Discovery: Miniature Gold Box Lock from Roman Era Found

The detectorist Constantin Fried has unearthed a miniature gold box lock dating back to the Roman era in Petershagen, located on the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to the Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL), the lock is estimated to be from the 3rd to 4th century AD and is made of pure gold, marking it as a unique and sensational find for researchers.

The tiny lock, measuring just 1.2 by 1.1 centimeters, was examined using a neutron computed tomography scanner at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland.

This advanced imaging technique provided researchers with a detailed view of the lock’s interior. Although the external key and chain were missing from the find in Petershagen, the 3D images revealed gold rivets and links inside the lock.

Image credit: Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL)

This evidence confirms that the lock was functional approximately 1,600 years ago. Thanks to the insights gained from the CT scan, the LWL was able to create a 4:1 scale replica of the lock.

The chief archaeologist of the LWL, Michael Rind, speculates that “perhaps a member of a local elite brought this exquisite piece back as a souvenir or gift upon returning from military service in Rome,” given that similar but larger locks existed during the Roman period.

The LWL notes that many scientific questions remain unanswered. It is unclear how such an extremely small object could have been crafted without the modern tools we have today, such as artificial light or magnifying glasses.

Rind poses the question, “Was this a one-off creation, or are there similar precious miniatures that have yet to be discovered?” He emphasized that the extraordinary find from Petershagen showcases the high level of craftsmanship in provincial Roman metalworking and locksmithing.

LWL

Cover Image credit: Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL)

Related Articles

The ancient necropolis area in Turkey’s Antalya becomes a museum

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

The East Garage Necropolis Area, which was once a public market in the southern province of Antalya and where archaeological...

A Viking ship discovered at Salhushaugen Cemetery in Norway

22 April 2023

22 April 2023

Archaeologists in Norway, a 20-meter-long Viking ship has been discovered using georadar on a mound previously believed to be empty....

Huge funerary building and Fayoum portraits discovered in Egypt Fayoum

4 December 2022

4 December 2022

The Egyptian archaeological mission working in the Gerza archaeological site in Fayoum revealed a huge funerary building from the Ptolemaic...

Archaeologists Found Probable Evidence of the Existence of Amazons in Azerbaijan

27 March 2024

27 March 2024

Archaeological research carried out in Azerbaijan recently likely confirmed the existence of Amazons, female warriors from Greek mythology. During excavations...

‘Dinosaur dance floor’ dating back 80 million years found in China

20 April 2021

20 April 2021

In China, researchers have found many dinosaur footprints in an area of 1,600 square meters described in the literature as...

2,700-year-old Unique Rock Tombs Disappear

18 July 2023

18 July 2023

The 2,700-year-old rock tombs, unique in Turkey, in the Taşköprü district of Kastamonu are in danger of extinction due to...

500-year-old curse tablet found in Germany

15 December 2023

15 December 2023

In the city of Rostock on Germany’s northern coast, archaeologists found a lead curse tablet invoking Satan and two other...

Pot Overflowing with Persian Gold Coins from 400 BC Discovered in Türkiye

4 August 2024

4 August 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Michigan have uncovered a pot of ancient Persian gold coins in the ancient city of...

“Scythian golds” will be returned to Ukraine

15 November 2021

15 November 2021

The fate of the Scythian Golds, which were sent to be exhibited in the Allard Pierson Museum before the Russian...

Archaeologists have unearthed two early Aksumite Churches in Africa

11 December 2022

11 December 2022

New discoveries in the port city of Adulis on Eritrea’s Red Sea coast show that two ancient churches discovered more...

New study: Humans engaged in large-scale warfare in Europe 5,000 years ago ‘1,000 years earlier than previously thought’

3 November 2023

3 November 2023

Hundreds of human remains unearthed from a burial site point to a  warfare between Stone Age people long before the...

Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old burial ground and shell tool processing site in Taiwan

1 August 2022

1 August 2022

A 4,000-year-old cemetery and shell tool processing site has been discovered in Kenting National Park, Taiwan’s oldest and southernmost national...

Drone photos reveal Venice of the Fertile Crescent

16 October 2022

16 October 2022

A drone survey of Lagash, a site located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, revealed that the 4,900-year-old settlement was...

Antikythera underwater excavation digs up new discoveries “huge marble head”

20 June 2022

20 June 2022

The second phase of underwater archaeological research (May 23 to June 15, 2022) on the Antikythera shipwreck resulted in the...

Inscriptions That Could Change the History of Turkish Migration to Anatolia Are Disappearing: Esatlı Kaya Inscriptions

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

Researchers made a significant discovery during field research conducted in 1994 in Esatlı village, Mesudiye, Ordu. They introduced a series...