An amateur metal-detecting group in central Poland has uncovered a trove of ancient treasures after a summerlong hunt that began as a search for German V-2 rockets. Denar Kalisz, based in the city of Kalisz, said the discoveries include pots filled with coins and hundreds of grams of gold. The group, which has spent more than two decades probing the Polish countryside for historical finds, started the season hoping to locate rocket remnants but instead stumbled upon an archaeological windfall.
On June 7, group member Hubert Piasecki found a clay pot filled with treasure that Kurowiak said contained 631 artifacts, including coins, ornaments and silver ingots from the early Middle Ages. 'The pot was filled with coins, ornaments and silver ingots from the early Middle Ages, containing 631 artifacts,' Kurowiak said. 'These included cross denarii, foreign coins such as English ones (including from King Harold I of England), as well as German, Hungarian, Czech coins and others.'
A few weeks later, on June 28, Michał Makuch found another pot full of coins from the early Middle Ages. Though it hasn't been opened yet, Kurowiak said the vessel is packed with silver coins, based on recent CT scans. 'And just when it seemed we couldn’t get any luckier, we came upon another treasure – an incredible one, containing a gold necklace (222 grams of pure gold) from the Roman influence period, possibly up to 1,800 years old,' he added. Gold objects in a partially excavated ancient pot.
'This is an archaeological sensation in Poland. The lucky finder this time was Mateusz Lachowicz,' Kurowiak said. 'By pure accident, we [have been] transformed from rocket hunters into treasure hunters.' The group leader added that he cooperates with professional archaeologists during excavations, and all artifacts are handed over to Poland’s Conservator of Monuments and, eventually, the Museum of the Kalisz Region.
The Denar Kalisz president noted the group has an international following, including some American fans. "We’re very proud of this, and it gives us even greater confidence that what we’re doing is right and important," Kurowiak said.
Poland has been the setting of a number of exciting archaeological discoveries over the past few months. In Gdańsk, archaeologists recently uncovered an elite knight’s burial beneath a former ice cream parlor. In the city of Kraków, excavators at Wawel Royal Castle found a remarkable centuries-old ring earlier this summer.
The finds in Kalisz underscore Poland’s ongoing role in uncovering artifacts that illuminate medieval trade networks, cultural exchange, and daily life across Europe. The Denar Kalisz group emphasizes that the discoveries are pursued as a collaboration with professional archaeologists and state authorities, reinforcing the idea that hobbyist exploration can support, rather than compete with, formal archaeology.
Kurowiak said the artifacts are entrusted to Poland’s Conservator of Monuments and, eventually, to the Museum of the Kalisz Region, where scholars will study them and add to public understanding of the region’s historical landscape. The organization’s stated mission—described by Kurowiak as a love of uncovering history—has drawn an international audience, including enthusiasts in the United States, who follow the group’s finds with interest.
The newly unearthed items span centuries of history and reflect Poland’s position at the crossroads of different empires and cultures. While the group’s initial aim was to locate remnants of German V-2 rocket technology, the discoveries have shifted their trajectory toward a different kind of historical bounty: objects that tell stories of trade, technology, and daily life in the medieval world. Researchers have stressed that the eventual conservation and study of the finds will follow strict archaeological protocols, ensuring that the artifacts are recorded, preserved, and contextualized for future scholarship.
As the summer season drew to a close, Denar Kalisz members expressed optimism about continuing their work in partnership with professionals. The broader archaeology community in Poland welcomed the discoveries, noting that such partnerships can broaden public engagement with history while maintaining rigorous standards for excavation and preservation. The reported finds add to a growing record of Poland as a living repository of European heritage, where hobbyist curiosity and professional science intersect to illuminate the past.
In context, the Kalisz haul resonates with ongoing debates about treasure hunting, public interest, and the responsibilities that come with uncovering cultural artifacts. While commercial treasure hunting has attracted critics, the Denar Kalisz approach — handing artifacts to authorities and collaborating with archaeologists — aligns with formal expectations for cultural heritage stewardship. The group’s experience also serves as a reminder of the value of patience and nuance in archaeology: sometimes a summer hobby can yield significant discoveries that reshape our understanding of a region’s historical footprint.
The discoveries in Kalisz are likely to be followed closely by scholars and local officials as the formal analysis progresses. For the participants, the experience has been a reminder that history can lie just beneath the surface, waiting to be revealed by those who treat the past with care and curiosity.
