Great news! Researchers believe a badger found a bunch of old coins in Spain. Yes! Great work, badger! Or should I say, ¡Buen trabajo!
Allow me to set the scene: Two archaeologists were visiting the cave of La Cuesta in northern Spain when they stumbled upon 209 pieces of Roman coins scattered about. A gift from God? No! A gift from badger!
Researchers think an animal, likely a badger, had been scavenging for food after the area was hit by winter storm Filomena. In a desperate attempt to find worms and berries, the badger might have stuck its legs into a small crack in the cave, excavating the treasure trove. Alas, not the treasure the badger sought — just some old, inedible coins from the late Roman period, dating between the years 200 and 500 A.D.
Experts have called the discovery an “exceptional find,” noting that it’s the largest collection of ancient coins unearthed near a northern Spanish cave to date. A lot of qualifiers but an accomplishment worth celebrating all the same. Archaeologists are now working on an excavation project in the area hoping to find where the coins were initially stashed.
Are there more coins? That’s one secret the badger will never tell. XOXO
