Mljet shipwreck uncovers Mediterranean’s largest gold hoard

Archaeologists excavating off Croatia’s Mljet Island have recovered a late 7th/early 8th‑century shipwreck hoard—the largest gold treasure ever found from a Mediterranean shipwreck—featuring more than 600 grams of gold coins issued by four Heraclian emperors, plus elaborate jewelry with rubies, emeralds and pearls and a golden signet ring, indicating a high‑status passenger. The wreck, studied since 2015 and formally presented July 23 by the Croatian Conservation Institute, provides new insights into Mediterranean sea routes during the Roman‑to‑medieval transition.