Ancient Treasures

The author of Hidden History offers a fascinating tour through centuries of buried riches, stolen artifacts, and other true tales of treasure.

The allure of treasure has captivated people for centuries. But is it purely a desire for wealth that draws us to tales of hidden riches, or is it also the romantic appeal of uncovering lost ancient artifacts? The stories behind the loss and recovery of ancient treasures often read like historical suspense fiction. In Ancient Treasures, readers discover the true histories of lost hoards, looted archaeological artifacts, and sunken treasures, including:

• The Sevso Treasure, a hoard of large silver vessels from the late Roman Empire—estimated to be worth $200 million—looted in the 1970s and sold on the black market.
  
• The Amber Room, a chamber decoration of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors, stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and brought to the castle at Königsberg in Russia, from which it disappeared.
  
• The fabulous wealth of Roman and Viking hoards buried in the ground for safekeeping, only to be unearthed centuries later by humble metal detectorists.
  

The wrecks of the Spanish treasure fleets, whose New World plunder has been the target of elaborate salvage attempts by modern treasure hunters