Carausius Hoard

[bpmurphy]

In the news today:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38142944...ld_news-europe

Barry Murphy

[GMoneti]

What a find. Just incredible. The fact that we even get to read about this and that it was left intact is a credit to the UK's antiquities laws. In many other countries it would've been taken apart in seconds after the find.

Aparently this has been named the Frome Hoard. The Portable Antiquities Scheme has posted quite detailed information with nice pictures and preliminary sorting by emperor:

http://finds.org.uk/blogs/fromehoard

[dougsmith]

There are several interesting points here including the idea that the contents were in layers making one wonder if they had been in (now rotted) sacks. I also found it interesting that there were more Diocletian/Maximianus coins than the curve of Central Emperors mould suggest making me wonder if some/all of these might be the ones issued in those names by Carausius.

I hope there will be a nice book.

[4to2centophilia]

Originally Posted by GMoneti

http://finds.org.uk/blogs/fromehoard

Great link.

[jamesicus]

Mauseus should have a field day! The Portable Antiquities Scheme slide show - http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/ (Frome Hoard) - is spectacular.
James

[Flavus]

What I find interesting is that this hoard proves once again an amazing anomaly. By the end of the reign of Aurelian from 260 to 275 the combined central and western coinage output presented in the hoard amounted to 42132 coins. However, from 275 to at least 293 the combined output was only 1753 coins! Such a tremendous difference (more than 95% drop!) between two similar in length periods of time.

[dougsmith]

Studying such a hoard will require as much care as cleaning it. I saw mention that someone thought the coins had to be put into the pot after the pot was in the ground because it was so big. Another statement was that the coins were in layers with, for example, most of the Carausius in one section ('Context'). Another suggested that it was not a hoard to be retrieved but possibly a donative or sacrifice. Photos show the pot was full. Placing those bits together could suggest that the hoard was not one group but several combined at some later date. Each of several groups might have been poured in until the pot was full when it was closed. The reason for such a grouping is not obvious to me but I'm not the kind of expert whose opinion would be likely to help. Care will have to be taken to determine not only what is in the pot but how it came to be there in the manner it was found.

[Flavus]

It is interesting who this hoard might have belonged to. It looks like someone (or several people) saved up quite a bit of money over the time. Here is what the site looks like:
from http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/4...7624319051565/

Copyright Somerset County Council

[Flavus]

Once I saw a small portion of a hoard (from early medieval times though) which used to be stored in a sack. With time, the coins, mostly small pieces of silver, practically turned into a ball, and although the sack totally disintegrated some of its bits and pieces still remained, visible here and there, almost a part of the coins texture.
I am looking closely at the pictures of these layers and trying to see if there are any traces of the cloth or any other material like leather, for instance, but it is hard to tell. I hope those who are working with the hoard will be able to give a more definitive answer.

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/4...7624319051565/

Copyright Somerset County Council

[bbridgwater]

The photos they've released are excellent.

If anyone hadn't noticed, these are from a large set. When you're viewing an individual picture on flikr you can click the little "All Sizes" button at top left to see larger versions of it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/s...7624319051565/

Rather than the Adventvs, the "Expectate Veni" would be my pick for poster child of the hoard. An interesting type, as noted here:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/num...?key=expectate veni

Ben

[Mauseus]

Hi,

I was invited down to the BM yesterday by Sam Moorhead for lunch and to discuss the work he’s currently doing on Carausius, both with the recent Frome hoard and the older Elveden hoard. As well as seeing the small public display I got to have a quick look at the rest of the hoard, bagged and in boxes and most of it awaiting conservation, as well as the two denarii and a handfull of already conserved coins not on public display. The denarii are as impressive as the pictures, if not more so and far exceed the quality of the remaining Carausian denarii in the BM's collection.

What is interesting is that the hoard has been carefully excavated down through the pot and seems to have been assembled from smaller pots. The reason for this hypothesis is that it seemingly terminates with London B/E coins (c.290) yet the greatest concentration of Carausius coins by far, including these terminal coins, was in the middle layer. The denarii, struck early in the reign, were found in the upper layers.

Hopefully a small booklet will be out shortly, within a week or two, to summarise the hoard (similar to what was produced for the West Midlands Saxon gold finds) with a full academic publication in due course.

Regards,

Mauseus

[vozmozhno]

Originally Posted by Mauseus

Hi,

I was invited down to the BM yesterday by Sam Moorhead for lunch and to discuss the work he’s currently doing on Carausius, both with the recent Frome hoard and the older Elveden hoard. As well as seeing the small public display I got to have a quick look at the rest of the hoard, bagged and in boxes and most of it awaiting conservation, as well as the two denarii and a handfull of already conserved coins not on public display. The denarii are as impressive as the pictures, if not more so and far exceed the quality of the remaining Carausian denarii in the BM's collection.

What is interesting is that the hoard has been carefully excavated down through the pot and seems to have been assembled from smaller pots. The reason for this hypothesis is that it seemingly terminates with London B/E coins (c.290) yet the greatest concentration of Carausius coins by far, including these terminal coins, was in the middle layer. The denarii, struck early in the reign, were found in the upper layers.

Hopefully a small booklet will be out shortly, within a week or two, to summarise the hoard (similar to what was produced for the West Midlands Saxon gold finds) with a full academic publication in due course.

Regards,

Mauseus

Interesting. I suppose this is an example of why context matters--even within the contents of a hoard itself.

Voz

[Flavus]

Dear Mauseus,
Do you know by any chance where and how it will be possible to get such a booklet?
I am very interested in buying one.
Thank you!
Flavus

[Mauseus]

Hi,

I'll post here when they are available and where they can be bought from.

Regards,

Mauseus

[Flavus]

Thanks a lot!!