In 1909, a large gold hoard from late antiquity was found either at Tomet near Asyut, or at the ancient site of Antinoë, on the eastern bank of the Nile in central Egypt. The exact circumstances of the find remain obscure as the treasure was not excavated by professional archaeologists. The very high quality of the pieces, some of which were embossed with medallions of the Byzantine Emperor, link the Asyut Treasure to the imperial court in Constantinople. The assemblage of gold jewellery was possibly brought from the capital to the supposedly safer environment of Egypt in the early 7th century, before it was hidden there from the Arab invasions in the mid 7th century.