The Bredon Hill hoard
Finds Liaison Officer Richard Henry sorting the hoard.
Worchester was a Roman site, known for the production of iron, and nearby villages have yielded a number of Roman small finds. The same is not true for Bredon Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort which was probably abandoned in the first century AD. There are also Roman remains on the hill, along with standing stones of various dates. However, the recent major find of a coin hoard suggests there is still much left to be discovered.
On 18 June 2011, two detectorists, Jethro and Mark, began searching the area, and the machine registered what turned out to be a nail. When that was removed, the detector was put back in the hole and more metal was registered.
They dug down and found coins and pot sherds and, after removing a large number of coins, replaced the earth and turf and reported the finds and the site's location to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Excavation took place under the Worcestershire Environment and Archaeology service, which collaborated for the first time with the PAS and Museums Worcestershire. This revealed that the hoard was housed in a 'Severn Valley Ware' storage jar in the ruins of what was a villa.
The hoard contained 3,874 coins dating from 244 to 282. Interestingly, the pit the vessel was associated with, on the basis of the coin found in the upper lay, suggests that the hoard was buried in 355 to 361. Hoards may be buried as religious offerings but they are also be deposited in times of political turmoil and war, with the idea that they can be recovered later.
There may not be a simple solution to the problem, and further research may not reveal why this hoard was accumulated and buried the way it was. The coins in themselves were not particularly valuable in terms of their precious metal content. Expressing the turmoil of the age when they were minted, 16 emperors are represented (and also the wife of Gallienus). During this period the denarius was highly debased, and could contain only a small percentage of silver.
Most of the coins in the hoard range from one to five percent silver and represent emperors from both the Central Empire and the Gallic Empire.
The Central Empire is represented by: Philip II (244–247) 1; Valerian I (253–260) 1; Saloninus (258–260) 2; Gallienus (253–268) 433; Salonina (253–268) 48; Claudius II (268–270) 352; Divus Claudius (270) 77; Quintillus (270) 23; Aurelian (270–275) 17; Tacitus (275–276) 15; Florian (276) 3; Probus (276–282) 36.
While the Gallic Emperors include: Postumus (260–269) 67; Laelian (269) 7; Marius (269); Victorinus (269–271) 817; Divus Victorinus (271) 1; Tetricus I (271–274) 1,159; Tetricus II (272– 74) 485; Uncertain 212; Copies 42; Illegible 67.
The 3rd century is seen largely as a disastrous time for Rome, when a succession of strong men laid claim to the throne. Some are relatively unknown, while others had time enough to be recorded in the histories and strike coins.
Every hoard that is recovered allows an assessment of relative numbers of coins, whereas individual coin finds cannot yield so much information. For example, the rule of as Roman Emperor Gallienus is well represented in this hoard. He ruled with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the empire after a succession of weak rulers but, although he won victories, his reign was judged a failure because outlying parts of the empire, Gaul and Palmyra, seceded at this time. Other reasons why ancient chroniclers were hostile to him can be seen on the coins – he portrays himself with godly attributes.
In contrast, Claudius II was venerated. He claimed the title 'Gothicus' before he died of what was likely to have been smallpox. During his short reign he turned his attention towards the Gallic Empire, which at that time encompassed Britain, Gaul, and Iberia. He re-gained Spain and the Rhone river valley in Gaul. Although his brother Quintillus briefly held the throne, it is likely that Claudius named Aurelian as his successor.
It was Emperor Aurelian who finally put an end to the Gallic Empire. With a base of power in Cologne, Postumus established an empire that had no ambition to take Rome. This empire produced very low quality coinage in great abundance, as is clear from the numbers of coins in the hoard. Emperor Victorinus was himself from Gaul, and his reign was cut short not by the army, but by a jealous husband. Victorinus' mother was able to arrange for a smooth transition for Tetricus I. Her first choice was apparently her grandson, but he was reputedly killed by the army the same day he was appointed emperor. Tetricus I ruled with his son, Tetricus II, until they surrendered to Aurelian. Sources from the Central Empire state that Tetricus agreed to surrender to Aurelian in exchange for his life, and that he left his army to be defeated.
It was claimed that Tetricus quoted Virgil in his letter to Aurelian: 'eripe me his, invicte, malis' ('rescue me, undefeated, from these troubles'). Father and son were then allegedly displayed at Aurelian's triumph and both made governor of a southern part of Italy.
The coins of Victorinus and Tetricus I/II were apparently issued in great numbers. It has been suggested that from five to six million coins could have been issued per week, a figure may not have been exceeded until the introduction of relatively modern methods of producing coins were introduced much later, during the Industrial Revolution.
After being displayed in Worcester Museum, the hoard returned to the British Museum in November but, hopefully, after the treasure assessment process is complete, it can be put on display again near where it was found. Then, even if the main question, namely, why it was buried, cannot be answered, at least we can enjoy examining the evidence.
Murray Eiland