The Llanvaches Roman coin hoard 15 July 2011 Detail of a denarius from the Llanvaches hoard showing the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-38) One of the finest hoards of silver coins from Roman Britain in the second century A.D. came to light in 2006 near Llanvaches, Newport. The hoard of 599 silver denarii were discovered hidden in a locally made cooking pot. They are now on displayed at the National Roman Legion Museum. Llanvaches lies between the fortress of the second Augustan legion at Caerleon and the local tribal capital, Venta Silurum, at Caerwent. The 599 silver denarii, which show various Roman Emperors such as Hadrian and Nero, date back to around AD160 and were declared treasure in July 2007. Denarius, or Denarii (plural) are perhaps the best-known Roman coin. It gives us the 'd' of our old £-s-d system. At the time it was about a day's pay, whether civilian (think of the parable of the vineyard in the Bible) or for a Roman legionary soldier. In itself, therefore, the denarius was a valuable coin. Six hundred denarii would represent a very large sum - how long might it take one of us to save two years' gross wages? Please click on the thumbnails below to browse through a selection of coins from the hoard. The Llanvaches coin hoard Forgery of Hadrian - reverse copies a coin of Trajan Forgery of Hadrian Pietas offering at an altar [Diva Faustina I] life-time portrait of Faustina I Hadrian, a bare-headed portrait Pax (peace) setting fire to weapons [Trajan] clasped hands: emperor and army [Nerva] An exotic beast [Titus] Sow and piglets [Vespasian] - refers to foundation myth Antoninus Pius (138-61); Hadrian's second adopted successor Fortuna ('fortune') [Trajan] Antoninus Pius (138-61) Hadrian (117-38) Felicitas ('happiness') [Trajan] Liberalitas - the emperor's generosity [Hadrian] Concordia [Antoninus Pius] Clementia ('mercy') [Antoninus Pius] Italia - another province personified [Antoninus Pius] Sabina, wife of Hadrian Vesta, goddess of the hearth [Sabina] L. Aelius (136-8); appointed Hadrian's successor, but died first Hadrian as 'restorer' of Gaul Faustina II, daughter of Antoninus Pius, wife of Marcus Faustina I, wife of Antoninus (d.141); commemorative issue ('Diva') Priestly implements [Marcus Aurelius Caesar] Marcus Aurelius as Caesar under A Pius (139-61) Thunderbolt on a chair [Antoninus Pius] Aegyptos - one of many provinces personified on Hadrian's coins Aequitas ('fair dealing') or Moneta (the mint) [Antoninus Pius] Pietas ('piety, duty') [Hadrian] Victoria: goddess of victory [Hadrian] Fides publica: the 'good faith' of the state (!) [Hadrian] Moneta - personifies the mint and the coinage [Hadrian] Adventus ('arrival') - Hadrian greeted by Roma Neptune, god of water/the sea [Hadrian] Iustitia ('justice') [Hadrian] Hercules and his club [Hadrian] Salus ('Health'/'welfare') [Hadrian] Diana, goddess of hunting and fertility [Hadrian] Libertas ('freedom') [Hadrian] Providentia ('foreseeing') [Hadrian] Hilaritas ('rejoicing') [Hadrian] Hadrian (117-38) Hadrian (117-38) Roma - goddess/personification of the city [Hadrian] Hadrian as gubernator (steersman) of the World Oceanus, the river round the earth, personified [Hadrian] Hadrian (117-38) Virtus ('valour') [Trajan] Hadrian adopted as Trajan's heir [Hadrian] Felicitas ('happiness') [Trajan] Honouring Trajan's father Trajan's Column, Rome - still standing today Military standards [Trajan] Equestrian statue of Trajan Trajan in a triumphal procession The province of Arabia personified, with camel [Trajan] Trophy of arms [Trajan] Ceres, goddess of agriculture [Trajan] A defeated Dacian [Trajan] Trophy of arms and captured Dacian [Trajan] Via Traiana, a new road in southern Italy [Trajan] Spes ('hope') holds a flower [Trajan] Mars, god of war [Trajan] Conquest of Dacia [Trajan] Eternity, holding sun and moon [Trajan] Trajan (98-117) Hercules, wearing lionskin and holding a club [Trajan] Nerva (96-8) Minerva [Domitian Augustus] 'Concord of the armies' [Nerva] Domitian, Augustus (81-96) Julia Titi, daughter of Titus and lover of Domitian Titus, Augustus (79-81) Venus [Titus Augustus] Wolf with Romulus and Remus [Domitian Caesar] Pegasus [Domitian Caesar] Jupiter [Vespasian] Vespasian Vespasian Judaea - suppression of the Jewish Revolt [Vespasian] Vespasian (69-79), former commander of Legio II Augusta Vitellius (AD 69) Vitellius (AD 69) Otho (AD 69) and his impressive wig Jupiter, Chief of the Gods [Nero] Nero (AD 54-68) Heads Detail of Pegasus from one of the Roman denarii Unlike our modern coinage - which has few designs and only one ruler - the Roman imperial currency of the second century was full of variety: Llanvaches contains coins of 12 emperors and four of their wives or girlfriends. Tails There were many dozens of reverse designs - forming a sort of chronicle of imperial aims, values and achievements (for those who had the inclination, or indeed the literacy, to understand them). They include: history and myth, the emperor and his achievements, the army, the empire, the Roman deities, and many abstract concepts personified; even, the natural world. So here's our chance to get up close and personal with Roman rulers, their wives and girlfriends and the messages of some of the outstanding coins in the hoard. The broader context Llanvaches appears to represent saved money (rather than a sum taken from circulation at one time) - so does it relate to the compulsory and additional voluntary savings that a Roman soldier might make? Or to the savings based on a lifetime of commerce at the nearby town of Caerwent? Either way, military pay was hugely importance for the circulation of new coinage; eight hoards of the time of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-61) are known from Wales, of which Llanvaches is by far the biggest.
A Roman belt-buckle that escaped the Edwardians Evan Chapman, 14 September 2010 Late Roman Belt-buckle from Caerwent The only other example known from Wales — from Pen y Corddyn hillfort, Conwy. Decorated with fish and a pair of peacocks facing a stylised tree. Excavation at Caerwent in the early 20th-century Re-excavating the Edwardian trenches at Caerwent Archaeologists first excavated the forum-basilica at Caerwent in Monmouthshire early in the twentieth-century. When Museum staff returned to excavate the site again they found items that had previously been overlooked, including this late fourth-century copper alloy buckle and plate. The buckle loop has a pair of dolphins' heads facing inward and a pair of horses' heads facing out. The sheet metal plate was originally fastened to a leather belt with two rivets at the end. It is decorated with a cable pattern border and three circular motifs with marigold-rosettes on a dotted background. The curving projections rising from these look like the heads and necks of birds, suggesting that the motifs could be peacocks. Peacocks can be seen on the buckle plate from Pen y Corddyn hillfort, Conwy, the only other example of this type of buckle-plate known from Wales That example is decorated with fish and a pair of peacocks facing a stylised tree. Immortal peacocks and a tree-of-life Peacocks as a symbol of immortality (their flesh was said to be incorruptible), fish and trees-of-life can all be interpreted as Christian symbols. This has led some to connect these buckle-plates with Christianity, but they could simply be conventional decorative motifs. Roman Military Belt Buckle-plates like this have been seen as official issue military equipment. The 'military belt' was an important symbol of rank, although the style of belt was clearly adopted more widely. This example could be a more broadly official 'civil service' issue, rather than purely military. It seems likely, however, that their spread was wider, possibly as a sign of status among people who merely fancied that they were servants of the state. They have been found in a few female burials, which suggests they were worn by women. The Caerwent belt-buckle should probably be regarded as no more than an item of dress that reveals the personal tastes of the owner. It does not directly reflect its owner's rank or even sex, although it may tell us a little about the wearer's aspirations to look like one of 'the Great and the Good' in society.
Reproducing Roman Arrowheads Evan Chapman, 14 September 2010 Roman arrowhead with three ribs from Dinorben, north Wales Roman arrowhead with four ribs from Caerleon, south Wales Replica arrowheads jig used to form a four-vane arrowhead The Romans used many different types of arrowheads. The most characteristic had a series of vanes: the early type had three vanes, but by the 3rd century examples with four vanes are found. One possible reason for this change is that the four-vane type was easier to produce. In 2008 St Fagans National History Museum hosted the World Field Archery Championship, and the Museum held a number of small exhibitions on archery. A number of replica Roman arrowheads were produced especially for the Roman archery display, to show what Roman arrowheads looked like when new. Careful conservation work on some of the Museum's Roman arrowheads revealed enough original surface detail to help us work out how the Romans had made them. The Museum's blacksmith at St Fagans was keen to produce the replicas in the same way, and he experimented until he could produce copies that closely matched the originals. This experimental work revealed that the four-vane type was easier and quicker to make, as the vanes could be formed in a jig. The vanes on the three-vane type, being more spread out, had to be individually hammered into shape. While doing this one vane tended to get in the way of working on another. Was this why four-vane types started to be produced? If this is true, why did the Romans start off with three-vane arrowheads? Roman archery equipment was based on that developed in the Near East. There, the original metal arrowheads had been cast in bronze. The three-vane form of these bronze arrowheads was simply copied when iron arrowheads started to be made. Further Reading Andrew Murphy, blacksmith at St Fagans National Museum of History using the jig to recreate Roman arrowheads Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N. 2006 Roman Military Equipment, from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome (Oxford: Oxbow Books) Chapman, E.M. 2005 A Catalogue of Roman Military Equipment in the National Museum of Wales, BAR British Series 388 (Oxford)
Ancient Drinking Culture: The Langstone Tankard 1 April 2010 The Langstone tankard Museum conservator Mary Davis and environmental archaeologist Nigel Nayling (Lampeter University) taking wood samples from the tankard. Microscope analysis has shown that the tankard was made of yew wood, a specially selected and very slow growing tree species. The finder, Craig Mills, and museum archaeologist Mark Lewis (National Roman Legion Museum at Caerleon), investigating the tankard find-spot In December 2007, Craig Mills discovered a complete wooden tankard while metal-detecting in a field near Langstone, Newport. Around 2000 years old, this article presents this rare and exceptionally well-preserved drinking vessel, showing how museum conservation and research are helping to reveal its story... The tankard When full, the tankard would have held nearly four pints of beer or cider. It was held in two hands and was probably passed around a group as a communal drinking vessel. This vessel was made of six wood staves, slotted around a circular base-piece. Surrounding the outer face of the body are two bands of bronze sheet. The vessel has a cast copper-alloy handle, attached to the tankard wall by two pairs of rivets. Dating to the Late Iron Age or early Roman times, the tankard has only survived because it was buried in a waterlogged soil, without contact with the air. As soon as it was taken out of the ground, it started to dry out with a real danger that it could shrink, crack and warp beyond recognition. Conservators spent much time and care, monitoring it, until it could be conserved. This was achieved by immersing it in alcohol (one more time!) to replace water from the cells within the wood. The alcohol was then replaced by ether (a very volatile substance), which evaporated easily from the wood's surface to leave the object 'dry'. Finally, the metal fittings were carefully cleaned and stabilised. The significance of the find Tankards were popular drinking vessels across western and southern Britain in the Late Iron Age and Roman periods. This is only one of six complete tankards to have survived in Britain and Ireland. The other example from Wales is the elaborately decorated Trawsfynydd tankard (Gwynedd), which was found around 1850 and also preserved in waterlogged peat. More common, are discoveries of just the bronze handles from tankards. The Langstone tankard is difficult to date accurately. The surviving handle, is very similar to a tankard handle discovered at the Roman fort at Loughor (Swansea). It was buried in a well, which was filled up during the second century AD. However, close examination of the Langstone tankard, suggests that this poorly fitted handle was a late replacement to an original, now missing. A localised tapering of the rim and delicate bronze pins remaining in the middle tankard wall are the surviving evidence for this early handle. This suggests that this tankard was made in the first or early second century AD (AD1-150). Just a few metres away from the tankard find-spot a group of two bronze bowls and a wine-strainer was found also by Craig Mills at around the same time. These near complete vessels were made during the Late Iron Age and decorated in the Celtic Art style. They were buried in a similar waterlogged and peaty layer, probably during the middle of the first century AD. This similar use, for straining and holding liquids, such as wine or medicine, suggests that this location held particular significance to their owners, who chose to bury their valued drinking gear here. Written by Adam Gwilt, with a contributing team of Evan Chapman, Mary Davis, Mark Lewis, Mark Lodwick, Craig Mills & Nigel Nayling
Bowls in the Bog: the Langstone Treasure Revealed 23 March 2010 The hoard group of two bowls and a wine-strainer The decorated ring-handle fitting (escutcheon) on the large bowl Investigating the waterlogged find-spot of the bowls and wine strainer. Undertaken as part of an ongoing treasure case by staff of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales and of Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales In December 2007, Craig Mills discovered two Late Iron Age bronze bowls and a bronze strainer, each decorated in the Celtic Art style. The finds were made while metal-detecting in a low-lying field near Langstone, Newport. This article presents these rare finds and shows how museum fieldwork and research are helping to tell their story... The bronze vessels This hoard of bowls with a 'wine-strainer' was once a drinking-set, for decanting and straining liquids. They may have been used for the preparation and drinking of newly fashionable Mediterranean wine. Alternatively, they may have been put to medicinal or religious use. The bowls are round-bottomed with carefully formed rims. One is slightly larger than the other but the strainer sits comfortably in both. Each bowl has a decorated fitting below the rim, through which a ring was fitted for hanging and storage. The strainer has a wide brim and a rounded body with a ring for hanging. The base is decorated with a carefully designed strainer pattern, achieved by careful piercing with many small, circular holes. The perforation pattern forms three trumpet-shaped zones, surrounding a three-legged triskele motif. The triskele is an often repeated Celtic Art design on Iron Age metalwork in Wales. The significance of the find The two bronze bowls from Langstone were made during the Late Iron Age (50BC-AD60). Examples have previously been found across south western and south eastern England, sometimes in watery places and sometimes in graves. These, and another similar bowl fittings from Llantilio Crosseny (Monmouthshire), show that they were also used across south Wales. The Langstone discoveries provide a rare opportunity to follow up a recent discovery using modern archaeological techniques. Wine-strainers of this form have previously been viewed as early Roman (AD75-150) in date, with examples known from Manorbier (Pembrokeshire) and Coygan (Carmarthenshire). However, this example, found with a set of Late Iron Age bowls, suggests they began to be made and used slightly earlier, probably between AD40-70. Why were valued and complete vessels buried in a bog? A few metres away from the hoard find-spot, a complete wooden tankard of similar age was found at the same time. This suggested a place of particular significance, associated with drinking and the burial of drinking vessels. Two small test-pits were excavated by museum archaeologists and revealed the exact places of these finds, within the same peaty layer. The vessels had been carefully placed into the edge of a low-lying bog or shallow lake. Nearby, at the centre of this bog, on a slightly raised island of gravel, is a known Roman villa site. However, this remote island setting is unusual for a settlement. It may first have been selected as an isolated place of religious significance, before later becoming an important place of residence in Roman times. Offerings to the gods Burying prized objects in lakes, rivers and bogs was a widespread practice across north-western Europe during the Iron Age. These places were chosen for ceremonies involving the giving of prestigious items to the gods, who resided in these places. The reasoning for this final act of burial may relate to a moment of stress experienced by a local Iron Age community. During the middle of the 1st century AD, the Silures tribe of south Wales was engaged in bitter and prolonged conflict with an advancing Roman army. Perhaps such gifts reveal an urgent measure, a call on the power of the Celtic gods against an invading force. Written by Adam Gwilt, with a contributing team of Evan Chapman, Mary Davis, Mark Lewis, Mark Lodwick, Craig Mills & Nigel Nayling
