Featured: New Book: Astrometrology: The Science of Ancient Metrology by Christopher Willett

New Book: Astrometrology: The Science of Ancient Metrology by Christopher Willett

Random Image

Acharn Falls

Acharn Falls

Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe, Scarre

Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe, Scarre

Login

Register here - as a registered user you get more features and fewer ads.

Who's Online

There are currently, 1123 guests and 2 members online.

Sponsors

Iron Age coin hoard found Norfolk

Submitted by vicky on Wednesday, 17 December 2003  Page Views: 5390

Iron Age and Later Prehistory

<< News >>

Country: England County: Norfolk
Internal Links:

A hoard of Iron Age gold coins has been found at an archaeological dig in Norfolk. The coins, which are about 2000 years old, were discovered at Sedgeford in north west Norfolk. The 18 coins which show a horse on one side, were found stuffed inside a cow bone after it was x-rayed at a hospital.

A number of loose coins were also found at the Sedgeford site. Chris Mackie, co-director of the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project, said: "The find of a hoard of coins in bone is absolutely unique."

He said the dig at Sedgeford had been going on for eight years.

"We have been finding a few coins over the years and we hoped they were part of a hoard.

"We took the bone to Sandringham Hospital. They were fantastic. They x-rayed it and it was exciting to see the coins in it," he said.

One of the greatest Iron Age hoards was found at nearby Snettisham in Norfolk in 1948.

The Snettisham Treasure includes coins, ingots and torcs (heavy silver and gold neck rings).

Source: BBCi 13/08/2003


Note: Update - Coin Hoard may stay in Norwich - see comment below.
Contributor Bio for vicky: Ex Megalithic Portal Editor, Co-author of 'Rock Around the Peak - Megalithic Monuments of the Peak District' and... More

·
News
·
Please add your thoughts on this site

Seahenge

Seahenge

More on Iron Age and Later Prehistory

Sponsors

More News

See all News →

"Iron Age coin hoard found" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: Iron Age coin hoard found by Anonymous on Thursday, 18 August 2011
could you please let me know where Iron Age coin hoard is on show
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Iron Age coin hoard found by Vicky on Wednesday, 17 December 2003
(User Info | Send a Message)
From: This is Norfolk 17/12/2003

Iron age treasure could stay in Norfolk

Hopes have been expressed that an Iron Age hoard of gold coins, which were found in Norfolk, could eventually have a permanent home in the county.

The mud-filled end of a cow's leg bone containing 20 Gallo-Belgic E coins or staters, which date from 60-50 BC, was unearthed at the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project (SHARP), near Hunstanton, in the summer.

Nineteen other coins have been discovered at the site of the annual excavation – 11 this year and eight in previous years – making 39 in total.

The hoard, brought by light by metal detectorist Kevin Woodward, has caused widespread interest in archaeological circles and is being hailed as the most important find in the dig's history.

Today King's Lynn coroner William Knowles established it as treasure, having been satisfied that the coins were made of gold and more than 300 years old.

The verdict means the hoard is officially the property of the Queen - but the owner of the land where they were discovered, Professor Bernard Campbell of Sedgeford Hall, and the finder are entitled to their value, which will be decided by a committee at the British Museum.

Although the coins are still being analysed, they could be worth around £200 each.

Speaking after the hearing, SHARP co-director Chris Mackie revealed that the British Museum had not expressed a particular interest in acquiring the hoard and it was also unlikely to go the Castle Museum in Norwich.

"What we would dearly love is for Professor Campbell to give it to Lynn Museum at King's Lynn," he said. "That would be the ideal solution. So many things have disappeared from West Norfolk. But we are still evaluating everything and nothing is final."

Mr Woodward, who was spending his third year as a volunteer worker on the project, came across the bone in the water-logged end of the dig on August 12 – just a few days before the end of the eighth SHARP season.

An X-ray at the Sandringham Hospital in Lynn subsequently showed up its remarkable contents.

Coins were found stored in a bone in Yorkshire in the early 1800s but these were a mixture of Roman and Iron Age varieties, making the Sedgeford discovery unique.

It is not yet clear why the staters, which were struck in northern France, ended up in their unusual resting place.
They could be interpreted as a votive offering to the gods - or the mercenary payment to chieftains and warrior bands who had returned to Norfolk after fighting the armies of Julius Caesar.

SHARP, which aims ultimately to build up a complete history of Sedgeford, began in 1996 and has involved the extensive evacuation of a Saxon cemetery in the valley of the Heacham River.

Around 200 skeletons – and evidence of an Iron Age settlement – have so far been uncovered.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Iron Age coin hoard found by Anonymous on Thursday, 15 January 2004
    payment to cheiftans for help to combat the roman invasion of gaule is the most likley answer as to how the coins ended up in england.
    it is often underestimated or overlooked in britain the fact that the "english channel" was merely regarded as a very big river to cross rather than the ocean !
    the people of gaule and britain share a common "celtic" heritage, something which for modern polititical reasons or pure ignorance is often ignored by london and paris !
    just a quick example ;
    in the north of england we say "mam" and "dad",
    these are words which are still in common use from our celtic heritage.
    in the breton language (which came from all over england,not just cornwall as some would like to claim, although i understand why) it is "vam" and "tad" !
    without sounding to much like mr.caine.....not a lot of people know that !!

    [ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.