Herodotus was a famous Greek historian who lived during the 6th century in the Persian Empire. He wrote many tales of unknown lands. His most fascinating account was of the legendary gold-digging ants as large as foxes.

His account stated: Ants which are smaller than Dogs but larger than Foxes for some which were caught are now in the possession of the King of Persia. These Ants make for themselves burrows below the Ground, and in doing so throw up the Earth, as ants do with us, and in the same manner they look exactly like ours. This thrown up sand contains the Gold and for the sake of this sand the Indians are sent into the desert…When the Indians arrive at the place of the Gold dust to fill their bags, they fill quickly and ride away as soon as possible. For the Ants, which, as the Persians would tell, have found out what has happened through their sense of smell, are at once after them and they are exceedingly swift.“

Herodotus was not the only historian to allude to this legend. In fact, the stories extend beyond Greek and Roman influences. References to the Ant Gold exist in the Himalayan tribes.

So what inspired these prospectors?

Historians are split on what inspired this interesting legend. One camp of thinking believes that the gold-digging ants are actually are a form of giant termites.

Giant Northern Termites are known for unearthing gold in Australia. This species is closely related to cockroaches. They are the only living member of its genus and its family – though numerous fossils taxa are known. The termite is not very numerous nor do they have large colonies when left to natural conditions. However, they thrive in locations with abundant water and timber structures, becoming an agricultural pest in Northern Australia.

In more recent years, scientists have begun to rely on the insects to guide exploration. Entomologist Aaron Stewart and his colleagues analyzed samples from 22 nests of termites and the surrounding soil. These mounds were all located in known gold-rich areas. The mounts contained high concentrations of gold.

Stewart said, “The termites are not specifically selecting gold to bring to their nests. It is a consequence of their habitat. They are including material from a few meters below the surface.”

Other historians believe that a different creature is responsible for these “fox-sized ants.” The creature would be the Long Tailed Golden Marmot and the Himilayan Marmot. These species are different but are both found in the Himalayan region. The Long Tailed Golden is located more central to Asia, while the Himalayan Marmot is concentrated in the Himalayas.

Marmots live underground and dig deep burrows with mazes of interconnecting tunnels. All this burrowing throws up a lot of earth. The location they are living in is said to be rich in gold deposits. As the marmots dig up the earth, the gold particles were then found and taken by the humans of the region.

Local tribes interviewed by researchers confirmed this method of gold collection. Tales of gold being piled along tunnels in the region were abundant.

But how did a marmot get mistaken for an ant? French Ethnologist Michel Peissel believes he found the answer to that question. The Persian word for “Marmot” and “Mountain Ants” is very similar. Somewhere along the line, the words were confused, birthing the story of Gold-digging Ants.

Sources:

Choi, C. Q. (2012, December 17). Termites: So rich their nests are made of gold. Inside Science. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.insidescience.org/news/termites-so-rich-their-nests-are-made-gold

Giant Northern Termite (mastotermes darwiniensis). Giant Northern Termite (Mastotermes darwiniensis). (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Giant-Northern-Termite/Mastotermes/darwiniensis.html

Gold-digging ant physiology. Superpower Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Gold-Digging_Ant_Physiology

Takin, M. (2018, October 5). Herodotus’s legendary Fox sized gold digging ants. Mishmi Takin. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://mishmitakin.com/blogs/news/herodotuss-legendary-fox-sized-gold-digging-ants