Austrian man finds centuries-old treasure in backyard

A man digging in his backyard accidentally stumbled upon hundreds of pieces of centuries-old jewelry and other precious objects.

Austrian authorities told the Associated Press that the man found more than 200 rings, brooches and other ornate objects, many decorated with ornaments like pearls and fossilized coral.

The objects have been determined to be about 650 years old. 

"Fairy tales still exist!" the Federal Office for Memorials announced in a statement Friday as it described the find as "one of the qualitatively most significant discoveries of medieval treasure in Austria."

The man, identified in Profil magazine as Andreas K. from Wiener Neustadt, found the objects in 2007 and left them in a box in his basement until he rediscovered them two years later.

An amateur archeologist encouraged him to report his finding to the Austrian Federal Monument Agency, reports Weekly World News.

A presentation of the objects will be made in Vienna’s Hofburg on May 2.

Here are photographs of the treasures.