Sergio Narciandi, who works for a water supply company in northwest Spain, discovered the necklace while was surveying land in Asturias, when he stumbled upon the jewelry, which was hidden among some rocks.
Before the Roman Empire came to rule over the Iberian peninsula, Celtic peoples lived in modern-day Spain, as well as throughout Europe. The Celts were exquisite metalworkers who created ornate jewelry to indicate wealth and status. Today, their metallurgic skill can be seen in the artifacts they left behind - like the gorgeous gold necklace Narciandi found.
These kinds of necklaces are often called 'torcs,' which comes from the Latin word torqueo (meaning 'to twist'), says the Science Times. Dating to around 500 B.C.E., they may shed new light on the Iron Age of Iberia.
While other gold necklaces from the period have been found in Spain, most of them were discovered in the 18th and 19th centuries, when comprehensive information about their provenance wasn’t recorded. Now, researchers will be able to study the newly discovered necklace with an improved understanding of its context.
Researchers are now conducting a “non-invasive metallurgic analysis and surface examination” of the artefact, writes the History Blog. “This will shed new light on the manufacturing technology of Iron Age Spain, the mining of metal, the use of silver, gilding techniques and more.”