
I wish somebody had been around to blog about the local people and the history behind the famous quote, “There's gold in them their hills.” Oh, there was?
M.F. Stephenson wrote various articles on his observations of minerals, as well as mound excavations in Georgia. In the 1870s, several of his articles were published by the Smithsonian Institution, including Account of Ancient Mounds in Georgia and Mounds in Bartow County near Cartersville, Georgia. These described sites he visited and the artifacts found at each, such as mica mirrors, copper vessels, and quartz.
When the gold rush in Georgia was believed to be over, many miners headed west to join the 1849 California Gold Rush. Stephenson, mayor at the time, thought differently and in the town square proclaimed to over 200 men, “Why go to California? In that ridge lies more gold than man ever dreamt of. There’s millions in it.” Thence came Mark Twain's quote.
But back to the present. Scotland, already rich with oil and gas has just announced the possibility of a major gold find. The tiny Scottish hamlet named Towie is bracing itself for the world's next gold rush after prospectors found evidence that it sits on major deposits. Local streams have been well known for grains of gold of "significant size" for decades.
The remote community of 200 people in Aberdeenshire does not even have a shop and the school has under 20 pupils.
However, after a two-year investigation, the possible existence of gold deposits worth millions has been revealed. Turkish mining giants Koza Altin Isletmeleri and a Highland firm GreenOre are now seeking planning permission for further investigation.
The mining giants feel the area in Aberdeenshire has all the right hallmarks of a major deposit to be hiding underneath the surface. Study of the geology found some exciting rocks with potential for a large deposit.
The area is already rich in history.

Picture below:. The exceptionally elaborately decorated ball from Towie in Aberdeenshire, dated from 3200–2500 BC

Nearly all have been found in north-east Scotland, the majority in Aberdeenshire, the fertile land lying to the east of the Grampian Mountains. A similar distribution to that of Pictish symbols led to the early suggestion that Carved Stone Balls are Pictish artefacts.
Apart from suggestions of their use as weapons, throwing balls, weights, or their weight used to aid scraping leather comes a more spiritual theory. The possible use of the balls as oracles has been suggested. The way in which the ball came to rest could be interpreted as a message from the gods or an answer to a question. The lack of balls found in graves may indicate that they were not considered to belong to individuals.
Maybe the modern gold-digging methods will reveal more ancient artifacts.
Looks as if it's never too late to find gold. Maybe I should dig deeper in my garden here in Hertfordshire, close to London in the UK. In her chariot, Queen Boadicea and her army fought their last battle against the Romans close by.
But no area lacks history. Do you know the story of your area or what lies beneath your home?