These raised lots of questions - why were the coins found here,
so far north of the Roman frontier? Were they part of a scattered
hoard? And were they connected with the known Iron Age settlement
in the field?
Above: Searching for the coin hoard.
This was a great chance to investigate the impact of the Roman
empire beyond its borders. The archaeologists began to excavate.
Working with the metal-detectorist, more coins were found and their
positions plotted. They clustered in the heart of the Iron Age
settlement.
A trench was dug in this area, carefully stripping away the
soil. More and more coins appeared. Finally, at the base of the
ploughsoil, came the gleam of silver – the remains of the coin
hoard, buried in a pot. Ploughing had damaged it, but most of the
hoard was intact.
Discover what happened
next...
Left: Work went on into the night to lift the hoard intact in a
block of soil.
Right: Excavating the remains of the hoard.