An
inventory of the contents of the jar revealed an impressive haul: sixty eight separate
pieces including five flagons, twenty-eight bracelets and two sword
handles. The total weight of the gold treasure was over twenty-two
pounds, the heaviest yet unearthed. One bracelet alone weighed more than
a pound. The jar had been so skillfully packed that not an inch of
space was wasted. This fact, plus the great depth suggests that it was a
king’s treasure which had been buried for safekeeping. Evidence of fire
in the soil around the spot indicated that a building once stood there,
perhaps a royal palace which was set ablaze in the course of a battle