An Austrian man who has been identified as just Andreas K. is one lucky bastard. While digging around in his yard back in 2007, he managed to find a treasure trove of jewelry and ornaments buried 650 years ago.
Excited authorities have called the discovery a fairy-tale find, saying in a statement Friday that it amounts to “one of the qualitatively most significant discoveries of medieval treasure in Austria.”
Austria’s department in charge of national antiquities said the trove consists of more than 200 rings, brooches, ornate belt buckles, gold-plated silver plates and other pieces or fragments, many encrusted with pearls, fossilized coral and other ornaments.
So how did all of this only come to light now? Andreas didn’t know what he had—he stuck the treasure in his basement and only found it again two years later while moving out. Not until he posted pictures of the loot online were collectors able to let him know how potentially valuable the treasure was. Because if you don’t know what a buried treasure looks like, Reddit will. [SFGate image credit: AP Photo/Bundesdenkmalamt/Bettina Sidonie]
