In Slovakia, on the hills of Mala Magura near the village of Tuzhina in the west of the country, the first archaeological evidence of the “gold rush” that swept Europeans in the 14th century was found.
The discovery is reported by The History Blog. For scientists, the first physical evidence of the “gold rush” in Europe was iron tools found in western Slovakia. From historical sources it is known that in the area of the modern village of Tuzhina in the Middle Ages, massive gold mining could be carried out.
However, until recently, this was nothing more than a legend. And now, archaeologists have unearthed tools that they believe were used to mine gold in the 14th century. By the way, it is known that gold was mined in other villages in the Upper Nitra region at that time.
The discovery of gold deposits in the foothills of Mala Magura in the 14th century caused a real “gold rush”. There are records that many people from different countries abandoned their homes, moved to the area and staked out plots, which they then tried to pan for gold. A lot of Germans moved here, for example.
At first they searched for gold veins, examining the local river. Then the prospectors began to dig tunnels. The “gold rush” did not last long, because after a few years it became clear that this region was not as rich in gold as it was supposed. The prospectors never found huge gold veins here, and the previous finds turned out to be one-time.
Archaeologists previously believed that Tuzhina was one of those settlements that were covered by the “gold rush”. But only now the first archaeological evidence of this historical fact has been found.
