It’s a real jackpot that has been lying in the English region of Worcestershire for almost 2,000 years. In 2023, 1,368 pieces were found in this province located southwest of the metropolis of Birmingham. Quickly, the historianshistorians are looking into this treasure, trying to analyze the provenance of such a large quantity of pieces. In a press release published on December 4, researchers from the London’s Global University (UCL) claim that they would have been imported onto British soil shortly after the arrival of the Roman legions on thearchipelagoarchipelagomarking the start of a new era.
Roman invasions on the island of England
For experts from the UCL Institute of Archeology, determining the provenance of the pieces required analyzing the faciesfacies engraved on silver. Some appear to have been manufactured and minted around 157 BC, the most recent dating from 55 CE. They were not all designed in what is now Italy, but seem to have been forged in the four corners of the empire, then at the height of its power.
The Worcestershire Treasure: a boon for historians
The British authorities have officially and administratively designated them as a treasure since June 2024. Indeed, it constitutes to date the largest quantity of silver coins found dating from the reign of Nero and also represents a boon for historians, becoming an additional clue to understanding the process of conquest of England and the adjoining islands. The first maneuvers of the empire began in 43, under the leadership of Emperor Claudius. Although Julius Caesar had already sent troops to England between 55 and 54 BC, these campaigns were not considered fully successful. Under Claudius and the following decades, the Romans continued to expand northward, however encountering a résistancerésistance fierceness of indigenous peoples.
Concerning the Worcestershire treasure, it could indeed be money intended for the legions. Museums in the English region are currently fundraising to acquire the pieces and carry out additional studies.
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