The discovery of the “Oldest Gold of Mankind” in the Varna Necropolis on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast in 1972 was a significant moment in history. An excavator operator working in the industrial zone of Varna stumbled upon the site which was located half a kilometer from Lake Varna and 4 km from the city center. It is estimated to have been created between 4,600 BC to 4,200 BC.

Around 300 graves have been found at the site, but the most significant one was grave 43, which contained the remains of a high-status individual and was covered in treasures. This single grave contained more gold than all other archeological sites from that period combined.

The Varna Culture, which thrived on the shores of the Black Sea in modern-day Bulgaria 7,000 years ago, was a highly developed and influential culture that predates Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. The discoveries made in the Varna Necropolis showed that it was the first known culture to produce gold artifacts.

The Varna people were perfectly situated for trade, with the Black Sea on one side and access to the Mediterranean region on the other. As a result, Varna became an important trading center and the people were able to accumulate great wealth, particularly the craftsmen who worked with gold and copper. This led to the development of a society consisting of metallurgists, merchants, and farmers, forming a class system and a powerful culture.

Before the discovery of the Varna Necropolis, the only artifacts from the Varna Culture were made of stone, flint, bone, and claystone. However, after its discovery, more than 22,000 unique artifacts were uncovered, including over 3,000 golden artifacts weighing 6 kilograms of pure gold, as well as high-quality copper, flint and stone tools, jewelry, pottery, obsidian blades, and beads. Among the elite burials, grave 43 was the most spectacular, believed to be the final resting place of a high-status male, possibly a ruler or leader in the society.