- Qabala treasures
Qabala treasures ( _az. Qəbələ dəfinələri) are monetary
treasure trove s, unearthed in different years near the remnants ofQabala (Azerbaijan ), the capital ofCaucasian Albania .The first trove, unearthed in 1950s, contains the coins of
Sassanid rulerKavadh I (488-531 AD).cite book | title = Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia | publisher =Baku | date = 1979 | pages = vol. 3, p. 125 | month = | isbn = ]The second trove, found in 1964, contains a
drachma of Parthian rulerGotarzes II , as well as denarii ofOtho , and coins of the Romans;Vespasian ,Trajan andHadrian ru iconcite web|url=http://www.coins.msk.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=604|title= Кабалинский клад монет эллинистической эпохи (with images)|publisher = Coins.msk.ru|author= Бабаев, И.А., Казиев С.М|accessdate=2008-02-11] and over 150 currencies of Sassanid rulerBahram II (274-291 AD).In the third trove, found in 1966, seven hundred silver coins (including 170 foreign) were found. Among them are drachmas of
Alexander the Great . Parthian rulers Arshak, Mithridates I,Phraates II , Thracian ruler Lisimachos, andSeleucids , all ruled during the 187-129 BC period.Tetradrachm s ofGreco-Bactrian Kingdom are also found. This trove was hidden in the 120s. Some currency in troves 1-3 circulated in Caucasian Albania in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC.The fourth trove was hidden in the 1st half of the 11th century and found in 1976. It consists of 53 complete and 1298 crumbled coins, struck during the
Ravvadid ,Shaddadid andShirvanshah periods.In one of the mounds, located two km south-east from Qabala, on the right bank of Qarachay River the trove was dug-over by earth working machinery. This resulted in the coins being scattered over the whole south part of the mound.
The drachmas of Alexander the Great (seven in total) are the earliest coins found. There are also tetradrachms of
Antiochus IV ,Antiochus VI and Demetrius, and four fromEucratides . One tetradrahm was struck byDiodotus I , but also bears the name ofAntiochus II .Some coins have been stolen by local residents.
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