美国有线电视新闻网20日报道，两名登山者在捷克东北部地区爬山时，意外发现一箱财宝，估计价值超36万美元（约合人民币259万元）。

这两名登山者在爬山时，注意到一面石墙内有一个箱子，里面装着10个金手镯、17个金属雪茄盒、一个粉盒、一把梳子和多达598枚金币。

Ten gold bracelets, 17 cigar cases, a powder compact, a comb, and a whopping 598 gold coins: the items are all part of a valuable and somewhat mysterious stash, found by chance by two hikers in the northeastern Czech Republic.

The hikers, who wish to remain anonymous, were taking a shortcut through the forest in the Krkonoše Mountains — a popular hiking spot — when they saw an aluminum box sticking out of a stony wall.

图源：东波西米亚博物馆

两人赶忙把宝藏送去附近小镇的东波西米亚博物馆鉴定。博物馆考古部门负责人米罗斯拉夫·诺瓦克说，钱币专家看到上述物品后曾前往发现地调查。目前，这些财宝主人的身份和藏匿原因仍有待商榷，但有一点可以肯定：藏宝时间最多100年出头，因为其中距今最近的一枚硬币铸造于1921年。

After they opened it and discovered the loot, they immediately took it to the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, in the nearby town of Hradec Králové, according to Miroslav Novak, the head of the archaeological department at the museum.

Who may have hidden the treasure and why is still up for debate, but one thing is certain: the stash can't be more than about a century old, because one of the coins is dated 1921. As for the rest, there are only hypotheses, for now.

经专家研究，598枚金币的重量达3.7公斤，价值36万美元。有两个雪茄盒无法打开，眼下尚不知道里面装着什么。

克尔科诺谢山位于捷克与波兰边境地区。诺瓦克说，这些财宝的发现地附近曾经居住着捷克人和德国人，之所以有人藏起这些财宝，可能与第二次世界大战有关：战争开始前以及结束前后，曾有大批捷克人、德国人以及犹太人离开该地区。

但是，这些金币“一半来自巴尔干地区，另一半来自法国”，并没有本地金币的身影，这更引发了人们对其来源的好奇。

"It is most likely related to the turbulent period before the start of World War II, when the Czech and Jewish population was leaving the border area, or to 1945, when the Germans were leaving," Novak said.

Speculation is fueled by the fact that, oddly, there are no local coins in the mix. "Half are of Balkan origin and the other half of French origin," Novak said. "Central European coins, such as German ones, are completely missing. But the find is located on the former ethnic border between the Czech and German populations."

图源：东波西米亚博物馆

英国卡迪夫大学现代史教授玛丽·海曼则认为，这些财宝被埋藏的时间距1921年不远。在她看来，“那是一个不稳定的时期，经济下滑，失业现象普遍。因此，当时有人想到埋藏黄金并不奇怪”，若是埋藏于二战前后，则应该有那一时期铸造的金币。

It's significant that the most recent coin in the stash is from 1921, according to Mary Heimann, a professor of modern history and an expert of Czechoslovak history at the University of Cardiff in the United Kingdom.

"It was an unstable period, there was a downturn in the economy and widespread unemployment. For that reason, it's not that surprising somebody would think of burying a stash of gold at that time," she added.

这批神秘财宝引发了当地民众关注。博物馆方面接到很多热心居民的电话，希望能为它们的来源提供线索。

有人猜测它来自周边某个名门望族，有人认为它是某场战争的战利品，还有人认为它的主人是收藏家、博物馆工作人员甚至江洋大盗。

待专家对这批财宝的分析完成后，博物馆将为它们举办一场短期展览。

诺瓦克说，根据捷克法律，考古所得属于当地政府财产。

他说：“将这批财宝移交给博物馆的做法十分正确。发现者有权获得经济奖励，奖金取决于这批财宝的经济或历史价值。”

According to Czech law, Novak said, archaeological finds are the property of the local regional administration from the moment of discovery.

"In this case, the treasure was correctly handed over to the museum," he said. "The finder is entitled to a financial reward, which depends on the value of the metal or historical appraisal."