A History Of Gold In The Ancient Era

Posted on by Brian Colwell

Gold has captivated humanity since the dawn of civilization, serving as a symbol of divine power, wealth, and eternal beauty across cultures and continents. From the earliest discoveries of gleaming nuggets in prehistoric riverbeds to the sophisticated mining operations of ancient empires, gold shaped the development of human society in profound ways. This precious metal transcended its material value to become intertwined with religious beliefs, political authority, artistic expression, and economic systems throughout the ancient world.

The story of gold in antiquity reveals not merely the history of a commodity, but a mirror reflecting humanity’s deepest aspirations, technological achievements, and cultural values across three and a half millennia of recorded history.

A History Of Gold In The Ancient Era (3000 BCE – 500 CE)

The ancient era witnessed gold’s transformation from a naturally occurring curiosity to the foundation of monetary systems, religious artifacts, and symbols of power that would shape civilizations from Egypt to Rome. By 3000 BCE, major civilizations across the ancient world had developed complex relationships with gold, establishing mining operations, trade networks, and artistic traditions that would endure for millennia. From the divine associations in Egyptian theology to the standardized coinage of Classical antiquity, gold served as both a practical medium of exchange and a powerful symbol of cultural achievement throughout this transformative period in human history.

Chronology

  • c. 3100 BCE: The hieroglyph for gold—a broad collar—appears with the beginning of writing in Dynasty 1 Egypt, establishing gold’s importance in Egyptian culture from the earliest historical period [1]
  • c. 3100 BCE: The code of Menes, founder of the first Egyptian dynasty, establishes the earliest known gold/silver value ratio, stating that “one part of gold is equal to two and one half parts of silver in value” [2]
  • c. 3000 BCE: Egypt and Sumer both begin intensive gold mining and jewelry production, with gold primarily reserved for royalty and social elites as seen in royal tombs [3]
  • c. 3000 BCE: The Sumerians in Mesopotamia create gold jewelry worn by both men and women, demonstrating widespread use of gold ornamentation in urban centers [4]
  • c. 3000 BCE: Active mining begins in Egypt around this time, with gold mining operations expanding throughout the Eastern Desert [5]
  • c. 3000 BCE: Mesopotamian city-states begin importing gold from various sources including Iran, Afghanistan, and possibly Egypt, establishing early long-distance trade networks [6]
  • c. 2900-2350 BCE: During the Early Dynastic Period in Mesopotamia, gold becomes integral to royal burials, particularly at sites like the Royal Cemetery at Ur [7]
  • c. 2700-2160 BCE: Egyptian gold mining under Pharaonic control expands into Nubia during the Old Kingdom period [8]
  • c. 2600 BCE: Egypt develops filigree goldworking techniques, allowing artisans to create delicate artworks and jewelry with intricate designs [3]
  • c. 2600-2500 BCE: The Royal Cemetery at Ur produces spectacular gold artifacts including necklaces combining gold with lapis lazuli and carnelian, demonstrating sophisticated international trade networks [9]
  • c. 2600 BCE: The capstones on the Pyramids of Giza are made from solid gold, demonstrating gold’s religious and symbolic importance in Egyptian architecture [10]
  • c. 2550-2300 BCE: Troy II flourishes in Anatolia, later yielding Schliemann’s controversial “Priam’s Treasure” including 60 earrings, six bracelets, two magnificent diadems and 8,750 rings in solid gold [11]
  • c. 2500 BCE: The city of Ur in Sumer produces the first known gold chains, indicating advanced chain-making techniques in Mesopotamian goldsmithing [4]
  • c. 2500 BCE: Egyptians begin using electrum (natural gold-silver alloy) in jewelry production, having used it since 5000 BCE [4]
  • c. 2450-2600 BCE: The “Gold of Troy” treasure hoard is created, showing a range of gold work from delicate jewelry to a gold gravy boat weighing a full troy pound [2]
  • c. 2400 BCE: The layer containing the so-called Priam’s Treasure at Troy dates to this period, approximately 1,000 years before the traditional date of the Trojan War [12]
  • c. 2200-1800 BCE: Evidence of gold forging appears at the fortified site of Bruszczewo in Poland, representing the first testimony of gold artifact production in a domestic Early Bronze Age site of Central Europe [13]
  • c. 2119-1794 BCE: During Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, gold production techniques advance significantly, with new mining sites discovered and exploited [5]
  • c. 2000 BCE: Underground gold vein mining begins in Nubia, supplementing earlier alluvial mining techniques [5]
  • c. 2nd millennium BCE: The Minoan civilization on Crete creates the first cable chain jewelry and produces vast arrays of gold jewelry using extensive techniques [4]
  • c. 1550-1070 BCE: Egyptian gold yield reaches its maximum during the New Kingdom period, reflected in the abundance of gold objects from this era [8]
  • c. 1500 BCE: Egypt conquers the kingdom of Nubia, gaining control of one of the largest gold-producing regions of antiquity [3]
  • c. 1480-1340 BCE: During the reigns from Thutmosis III to Amenophis IV, almost all important gold mining sites in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and Nubian Desert are discovered and exploited [14]
  • c. 1400 BCE: Gold is mentioned in the Amarna letters numbered 19 and 26, with King Tushratta of the Mitanni claiming gold was “more plentiful than dirt” in Egypt [15]
  • c. 1323 BCE: Tutankhamun is buried with spectacular gold artifacts including his famous gold funeral mask, demonstrating the peak of Egyptian goldworking artistry [1]
  • c. 1320 BCE: During the reign of Seti I, Egyptians create the first known gold treasure map, the “Carte des mines d’or” papyrus showing gold mines and gold-bearing mountains [2]
  • c. 1300 BCE: Shallow underground vein gold mining in Nubia supplements alluvial workings, marking advancement in mining technology [5]
  • c. 1260-1180 BCE: The traditional date range for the Trojan War, though the actual Troy II gold treasures date from much earlier [16]
  • c. 8th century BCE: Gold objects from Europe and Central Asia are introduced to China via the Eurasian Steppe and borderland regions [17]
  • c. 7th century BCE: The Etruscans use gold wire to fix substitute animal teeth in place, demonstrating gold’s use in dentistry for over 3,000 years [4]
  • c. 640 BCE: The earliest known electrum coins are produced in Lydia and East Greece, found under the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus [18]
  • c. 600 BCE: The first standardized gold coins appear in Lydia (modern Turkey) under King Croesus, made from electrum and stamped with a roaring lion design [19]
  • c. 585 BCE: King Croesus of Lydia produces the first gold coins of standard weight and purity, replacing the need to weigh individual gold pieces [3]
  • c. 564 BCE: The Kingdom of Lydia becomes the first nation to use gold and its alloys as an official system of trade and currency [20]
  • c. 550 BCE: Greeks begin mining for gold throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, with both Plato and Aristotle writing theories about gold’s origins [2]
  • c. 546 BCE: Cyrus the Great conquers Lydia and adopts its coinage system, introducing coins to the Persian Empire [21]
  • c. 6th century BCE: The Persian daric replaces the Lydian stater as the most commonly used gold coin in the Near East after Cyrus the Great conquers Lydia [3]
  • c. 522-486 BCE: Darius I introduces the gold daric coin featuring a kneeling archer, which becomes the standard international trade coin for the Persian Empire [22]
  • c. 505-480 BCE: Type II darics are issued showing the Persian king kneeling and drawing a bow, considered very rare today [23]
  • c. 5th century BCE: Persian darics become widely used to pay mercenary troops, with one daric equaling a soldier’s monthly pay [24]
  • c. 455-420 BCE: Type IV darics are issued featuring the king holding a dagger rather than a spear [23]
  • c. 430-427 BCE: Persian sympathizers and mercenaries occupy the Greek city of Notion, possibly leading to the burial of gold coin hoards [25]
  • c. 4th century BCE: First attempts at alchemy to produce gold are made in China, later followed by similar efforts in ancient Greece [4]
  • c. 4th century BCE: Alexander the Great’s conquests spread the Macedonian gold stater from the Eastern Mediterranean to India [3]
  • c. 370-350 BCE: Gold staters are minted at Panticapaeum depicting a griffon standing on an ear of wheat [26]
  • c. 359-336 BCE: Philip II of Macedonia issues the biga stater, which begins to displace the Persian daric from its central economic position [27]
  • c. 336-323 BCE: Alexander the Great issues the Nike stater, conclusively displacing the daric as the dominant gold coin [27]
  • c. 330 BCE: Alexander conquers the Persian Empire, causing most darics to be melted down and recoined as Macedonian staters [28]
  • c. 296-294 BCE: Athens issues gold staters as a last resort during crisis, using metal from temples [26]
  • c. 206 BCE – 220 CE: The Han dynasty in China sees unprecedented use of gold in elite tombs, jade suits, and imperial gifts [17]
  • c. 206 BCE – 9 CE: Western Han dynasty uses hoof-shaped gold ingots called “Horse Hoof Gold” as currency and for imperial gifts [29]
  • c. 200 BCE: Gold solidus production begins in the Roman Republic, though not yet standardized [30]
  • c. 1st century BCE: The Roman gold aureus and silver denarius become standard trade currency throughout the Mediterranean world [3]
  • c. 87 BCE: Roman general Sulla resumes issuing gold coins during his campaign in Greece [31]
  • c. 49 BCE: Julius Caesar seizes the gold reserve of the public treasury to fund his civil war [31]
  • c. 46 BCE: Julius Caesar begins minting large quantities of gold coins called the aureus, which becomes widely circulated in the Roman economy [19]
  • c. 44 BCE: Following Caesar’s assassination, various factions mint gold coins to pay their armies, including the famous “Ides of March” aureus [31]
  • c. 42 BCE: Brutus issues gold staters to pay mercenaries in his army during the Roman Civil Wars [32]
  • c. 31 BCE: Octavian becomes sole master of the Roman world after defeating opposition at Actium [31]
  • c. 27 BCE: Augustus standardizes the aureus at 25 silver denarii, establishing stable Roman gold currency [31]
  • c. 25 BCE – 23 BCE: Augustus issues gold quinarii from the mint at Emerita [33]
  • c. 1st century CE: Pliny the Elder defines electrum as a natural alloy of gold containing more than 20 percent silver in his Naturalis Historia [1]
  • c. 54-68 CE: Nero begins debasement of the aureus, reducing its weight from 1/40 to 1/45 of a Roman pound [31]
  • c. 64-68 CE: During Nero’s reign, the purity of gold coins is briefly reduced to 94% [31]
  • c. 166 CE: A Roman embassy reaches the Han court in China, facilitating exchange of gold coins and trade goods [34]
  • c. 217 CE: Caracalla introduces the gold antoninianus, valued at two denarii but containing only 1.6 times the gold [30]
  • c. 275 CE: By this time, the aureus is worth 275,000 increasingly debased denarii [35]
  • c. 284-305 CE: Diocletian introduces an early form of the solidus, struck at 60 to the Roman pound of pure gold [31]
  • c. 293 CE: Diocletian reforms the Roman coinage system, guaranteeing the gold aureus at 60 to a pound [36]
  • c. 301 CE: Diocletian issues the Edict on Maximum Prices, fixing gold at 72,000 denarii per pound [31]
  • c. 310 CE: Constantine introduces three new gold coins including the solidus at 1/72 of a Roman pound [37]
  • 312 CE: Constantine I permanently reintroduces the solidus, replacing the aureus as the gold coin of the Roman Empire [35]
  • 312 CE: The Roman solidus replaces the aureus as the standard Roman gold coin [19]
  • c. 325 CE: Constantine introduces new silver coins including the siliqua and miliarensis [37]
  • c. 330 CE: Constantinople becomes the new capital, with the solidus as the empire’s primary gold currency [38]
  • c. 337-361 CE: Constantine II continues issuing gold solidi maintaining the standards established by Constantine I [39]
  • c. 348 CE: Constantius II introduces new denominations including the maiorina [37]
  • c. 361-363 CE: Julian the Apostate produces large billon coins with pagan symbols [37]
  • c. 364-367 CE: Valentinian I maintains the gold solidus at its traditional weight and purity [30]
  • c. 408-420 CE: Gold tremissis (one-third solidus) coins become popular in Western regions [35]
  • c. 476 CE: The fall of the Western Roman Empire leads to an abundance of different gold coins circulating as trade currencies throughout the former empire [3]
  • c. 498 CE: Anastasius I reforms Byzantine currency, establishing the gold solidus/nomisma as the foundation of Byzantine coinage [40]
  • c. 500 CE: Gold continues to serve as a primary medium of international trade and symbol of authority as the ancient era transitions into the medieval period [3]

Final Thoughts

The history of gold in the ancient era reveals far more than the story of a precious metal—it illuminates the interconnected nature of early civilizations and their shared human experiences. From the sophisticated goldworking techniques of ancient Mesopotamia to the standardized coinage systems of Rome, gold served as both a catalyst for technological innovation and a medium for cultural expression.

The metal’s unique properties—its resistance to tarnish, malleability, and lustrous beauty—made it the perfect canvas for artistic achievement while its rarity ensured its role as a store of value and symbol of power. As ancient civilizations rose and fell, gold remained a constant thread weaving through their histories, facilitating trade networks that spanned continents, inspiring religious devotion, and motivating some of humanity’s greatest architectural and artistic achievements.

The legacy of ancient gold extends far beyond the artifacts that survive in museums today; it established patterns of value, beauty, and cultural significance that continue to resonate in our modern world, reminding us that our fascination with this “flesh of the gods” connects us directly to our earliest ancestors who first glimpsed its gleam in ancient riverbeds.

Thanks for reading!

References

[1] Gold in Ancient Egypt – The Metropolitan Museum of Art – https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egold/hd_egold.htm

[2] History of gold – https://onlygold.com/facts-statistics/history-of-gold/

[3] The History of Gold: From Antiquity to the Present Day – https://verifiedinvesting.com/blogs/education/the-history-of-gold-from-antiquity-to-the-present-day

[4] Gold in Antiquity – World History Encyclopedia – https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/

[5] Mining industry of Egypt – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_industry_of_Egypt

[6] Sourcing Mesopotamian Gold | Research – Penn Museum – https://www.penn.museum/research/project.php?pid=49

[7] Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia) – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Dynastic_Period_(Mesopotamia)

[8] Ancient gold mining in the Eastern Deserts – https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2021/09/15/ancient-gold-mining-in-the-eastern-deserts/

[9] Necklace beads | Sumerian | Early Dynastic IIIa | The Metropolitan Museum of Art – https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/322910

[10] The History of Gold – From 40,000 B.C. To The Present – https://bebusinessed.com/history/the-history-of-gold/

[11] Troy – World History Encyclopedia – https://www.worldhistory.org/troy/

[12] Priam’s Treasure: A Quest For Ancient Gold Helped Destroy The City Of Troy | IFLScience – https://www.iflscience.com/priams-treasure-a-quest-for-ancient-gold-helped-ruin-the-city-of-troy-68355

[13] First evidence for the forging of gold in an Early Bronze Age Site of Central Europe (2200–1800 BCE) – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X22004114

[14] Gold of the Pharaohs – 6000 years of gold mining in Egypt and Nubia – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S089953620100094X

[15] Gold – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold

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[17] Exotica, Fashion and Immortality: The New Use of Gold in Han Dynasty China – https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-archaeological-journal/article/abs/exotica-fashion-and-immortality-the-new-use-of-gold-in-han-dynasty-china-206-bcece-220/B73619A2E56CCA2ED870E4E8E287BC6A

[18] Ancient Greek coinage – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_coinage

[19] How Was Gold Used in Ancient Times? – Garfield Refining – https://www.garfieldrefining.com/resources/blog/how-was-gold-used-in-ancient-times/

[20] A Short History of the Use of Gold | Provident – https://www.providentmetals.com/knowledge-center/collectible-coins/gold-history.html

[21] Daric – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daric

[22] King Darius and Gold Coins of the Persian Empire | APMEX – https://learn.apmex.com/learning-guide/coin-collecting/king-darius/

[23] The Daric: Persian Gold – CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series – https://coinweek.com/the-daric-persian-gold-coinweek-ancient-coin-series/

[24] U-M team finds ancient Persian gold coins in western Turkey – https://record.umich.edu/articles/u-m-team-finds-ancient-persian-gold-coins-in-western-turkey/

[25] Pot overflowing with gold coins discovered in ancient Greek city in Turkey – https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/pot-overflowing-with-gold-coins-discovered-in-ancient-greek-city-in-turkey

[26] Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean World – American Numismatic Society – https://numismatics.org/ancient-greece-and-the-mediterranean-world/

[27] DARIC – Encyclopaedia Iranica – https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/daric/

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[29] Sycee – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycee

[30] Roman currency – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency

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[34] Han dynasty – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty

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[37] Roman coin Denominations – https://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia/denominations.htm

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