Hallaton Treasure
Encyclopedia
The Hallaton Treasure, the largest hoard
of British Iron Age
coins, was discovered in 2000 near Hallaton
in southeast Leicestershire
, England, by volunteers from the Hallaton Fieldwork Group. The initial find was made by Ken Wallace on 19 November 2000, when he found about 130 coins with a metal detector.
Along with local community archaeologists, the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) excavated what turned out to be one of the most important Iron Age excavations and community archaeology projects in Britain.
The hoard includes over 5,000 silver and gold coins, a silver gilt Roman parade helmet, jewellery, and other objects. Most of the items date to around the time of the Roman Conquest of Britain
in the 1st century AD. Of the coins from the site, 4,835 can be attributed to the local tribe, the Corieltauvi. This find more than doubled the total number of Corieltauvian coins previously recorded.
A silver Roman coin from the hoard has been dated by local museums to 211 BC, and is the oldest Roman coin found in Britain.
Some archaeologists have however speculated that it found its way into Britain before the Roman conquest in 43 AD and is evidence of exchange through trade or diplomacy. The site of the treasure proved to be an internationally important ritual site dating mostly to the generations before and after the Roman Conquest. Archaeologists believe that the site is a type of open air shrine that is the first of its kind to have been discovered in the UK. It was located on a hilltop in the Welland
valley and was probably enclosed by a ditch and palisade.
According to Professor David Mattingly
, an archaeologist with the University of Leicester
, "This hoard has changed our view of just how significant the East Midlands were in this period and this coin is a good example. It indicates there was contact between this region and the Roman Empire despite the distance between the East Midlands and the parts of Britain the Romans arrived in, like Colchester and Chichester."
Finds from the Treasure are displayed at Harborough Museum
. The Roman helmet is currently undergoing conservation and research at the British Museum
. Replica coins and a replica helmet are on view in the village museum in Hallaton.
In January 2011, it was announced that the skeleton of a dog believed to have been sacrificed to guard the treasure would go on display at Harborough Museum.
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of British Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
coins, was discovered in 2000 near Hallaton
Hallaton
Hallaton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 523....
in southeast Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England, by volunteers from the Hallaton Fieldwork Group. The initial find was made by Ken Wallace on 19 November 2000, when he found about 130 coins with a metal detector.
Along with local community archaeologists, the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) excavated what turned out to be one of the most important Iron Age excavations and community archaeology projects in Britain.
The hoard includes over 5,000 silver and gold coins, a silver gilt Roman parade helmet, jewellery, and other objects. Most of the items date to around the time of the Roman Conquest of Britain
Roman conquest of Britain
The Roman conquest of Britain was a gradual process, beginning effectively in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, whose general Aulus Plautius served as first governor of Britannia. Great Britain had already frequently been the target of invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and...
in the 1st century AD. Of the coins from the site, 4,835 can be attributed to the local tribe, the Corieltauvi. This find more than doubled the total number of Corieltauvian coins previously recorded.
A silver Roman coin from the hoard has been dated by local museums to 211 BC, and is the oldest Roman coin found in Britain.
Some archaeologists have however speculated that it found its way into Britain before the Roman conquest in 43 AD and is evidence of exchange through trade or diplomacy. The site of the treasure proved to be an internationally important ritual site dating mostly to the generations before and after the Roman Conquest. Archaeologists believe that the site is a type of open air shrine that is the first of its kind to have been discovered in the UK. It was located on a hilltop in the Welland
River Welland
The River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
valley and was probably enclosed by a ditch and palisade.
According to Professor David Mattingly
David Mattingly (author)
David John Mattingly is an archaeologist and historian of the Roman world, who is currently a professor at the University of Leicester.- Biography :...
, an archaeologist with the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
, "This hoard has changed our view of just how significant the East Midlands were in this period and this coin is a good example. It indicates there was contact between this region and the Roman Empire despite the distance between the East Midlands and the parts of Britain the Romans arrived in, like Colchester and Chichester."
Finds from the Treasure are displayed at Harborough Museum
Harborough Museum
Harborough Museum was opened in 1983 in a former mill building that also houses the Harborough District Council offices and is set in the historic market town of Market Harborough....
. The Roman helmet is currently undergoing conservation and research at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Replica coins and a replica helmet are on view in the village museum in Hallaton.
In January 2011, it was announced that the skeleton of a dog believed to have been sacrificed to guard the treasure would go on display at Harborough Museum.