By Tim Binnall
A hungry badger in Spain unknowingly became a bonafide treasure hunter after it unearthed a cache of ancient Roman coins. According to a local media report, the remarkable find occurred in the northern part of the country last April when researchers stumbled upon some of the ancient artifacts sitting on the ground outside of the creature's den. Upon further examination of the animal's home, they were astounded to discover a staggering 209 Roman coins from the third and fifth centuries.
As for how the badger wound up finding the lost horde, archaeologists theorize that the harsh winter that hit the region last year forced the creature to go further than usual in foraging for food. In turn, they speculate, it dug into a crack near its den, but 'only' found the ancient Roman coins. Since the copper and bronze objects provided no sustenance, the badger simply left them on the ground near its cave like a proverbial clue to the riches still to be found inside.
Although the artifacts are very worn, experts marveled that the cache is the largest such horde ever found in that region of Spain. Based on when they believe the coins were buried, researchers suspect that they were hidden by an individual as an invading army was entering the area and then never recovered. While the treasure-hunting badger likely did not receive any share of the riches, we hope researchers at least provided the creature with some treats for leading them to the precious coins.