The Amisos Treasures — an exquisite 64-piece assemblage unearthed from a tomb in ancient Amisos (today’s Samsun) and often ranked alongside the legendary Trojan and Karun treasures — have drawn immense and lasting interest, making them one of the museum’s most admired treasures.
The treasures were discovered in 1995 in the İlkadım district’s Cedit neighborhood during a road expansion project, when a grave chamber filled with remarkable artifacts came to light. Today, the collection is displayed in one of the museum’s most popular sections.
Mustafa Kantemir, the museum’s gold artifacts specialist, told state-run Anadolu Agency that the 64-piece assemblage, comparable to the Trojan and Karun treasures, includes gold, metal, glass and terracotta objects and stands as one of the museum’s most important and celebrated ensembles.
Kantemir noted that the Amisos Treasures are classified as “in-situ findings,” meaning they were recovered in their original form and location of use or production, placing them among the most significant examples of their kind worldwide.
The hoard includes gold brooches, bracelets, a gold mouth and eye band, a necklace measuring up to 2 meters, terracotta bowls, oil lamps that used to illuminate the grave chamber and glass ornaments.
The treasures are dated to the reign of Mithridates VI, though Kantemir said there are strong indications that some items may be older.
Emphasizing Samsun’s historical importance as a link between Crimea and Anatolia, he said: “The Amisos Treasures represent the fusion of East and West. There is Persian influence on one side and Hellenistic influence on the other. In the East, men wore gold as a sign of status and power, while in the West, it was mostly women. This synthesis becomes evident in this period.”
He noted that the filigree bracelets reflect Persian craftsmanship and added, “We can say it is the largest treasure group of its period in its category. Amisos holds the largest grave find of gold artifacts. The lion-headed bracelets reflect the exuberant Eastern style and served as powerful symbols. As gold became more abundant in Anatolia at the time, it naturally influenced the art.”
Kantemir said the Amisos display is the most striking part of the museum, adding: “The craftsmanship is so fine that some visitors question whether it can even be real. Experts say that such work would be nearly impossible to reproduce even with today’s technology.”
