Revising Lydian History

The Lydians are widely credited with creating the world’s first standardized coinage from electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold. Until recently, scholars have thought that the Lydians lived in villages until the 7th century B.C. However, archaeologists excavating in Sardis—the ancient Lydian capital located in modern-day Turkey—have unearthed a set of walls that date further back to the 8th century B.C. Also among the findings were nine silver coins dating to the early 6th century B.C., considered among the oldest known coins in the world. The latest discovery indicates that Sardis had developed into an urban center earlier than previously thought.