Kannur (Kerala) | At first they thought it was a bomb and kept a safe distance. They then feared it might be "koodothram" (black magic).

But, a group of women labourers never imagined that they would unearth a "treasure trove", which they opened after gathering much courage.

This is exactly what happened when the daily wage workers dug up a rainwater harvesting pit at a private rubber plantation in Chengalayi in this district on Thursday.

The container they stumbled upon was filled with precious jewels and old coins, which is considered to be of great value.

Though its value and antiquity can be ascertained only after a detailed examination by the archaeology department, it is considered as an invaluable treasure trove by the locals.

After being informed of the discovery, police rushed to the spot and collected the "treasure" on Thursday itself.

Later, they produced the jewels and coins before a local court.

As the news made headlines on Saturday, the women workers said they never ever thought that there would be priceless jewellery or coins inside the container.

"We saw something glittering inside the pit...it was an old container. We first thought that it was a bomb. Then we suspected whether it was some koodothram (black magic)," one of the women said.

But, to their surprise, gold and silver coins, precious beads, "pathakka" (lockets) and so on came out of it, she said.

A police official, who reached the area for further inspection, on Saturday said all the unearthed articles were produced before the court.

"We have already informed the Archaeological department about the discovery. It is up to them to carry out more searches in the area. Their examination will reveal the antiquity of the discovered articles," he said.

Meanwhile, three more silver coins and a gold bead were found in the same property on Saturday morning, locals added.