In November 2007, during a routine excavation in advance of building work in Beau Street, Bath (a stone’s throw from the famous Roman Baths themselves), archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology came upon a very large number of coins contained within a cist (a stone-slab box). Upon further excavation, they realised that this represented the largest urban coin hoard found in the UK, dating to around AD 270.
The hoard was lifted in a single soil block © Cotswold Archaeology
Micro-excavation
In order to preserve its shape and context, the archaeologists cut around the hoard and lifted it in a soil block. Julia Tubman, a conservator at the British Museum is now micro-excavating the coins before cleaning and conserving them.
Ms Tubman said that the coins were initially estimated to number about 30,000, but having begun excavation of the soil block they were contained in, she believes there are no more than 22,000.
Updates from the conservator
The initial excavation should take about six weeks and during that time Ms Tubman will be regularly adding to a blog with updates of her work as it progresses. Her colleagues from various curatorial departments along with individuals from the British Museum science team will also contribute as the hoard gradually reveals its story.
The hoard in May 2012 in the conservation lab, excavation underway. © Trustees of the British Museum
The coins have maintained the shape of the cist they were contained within, as the soil and corrosion has concreted them together. Looking closely, it is possible to make out groups of coins, meaning that it seems to be composed of six individual smaller hoards.
This was first recognised in December 2011 when Dr. Mavrogordato from the Imaging Centre in the University of Southampton’s Department of Engineering Sciences, took x-rays of the block. The resulting images show what look to be ‘bags’ of coins. It is uncertain as to whether the bags themselves have survived but the corroded coins have kept the shape of their containers and Julia will be looking for evidence of them.
Many questions to answer
There are many questions that will be answered during the examination of the hoard. For example, do the ‘bags’ contain the same sorts of coins or different ones? Do they each contain the same amount in Roman money or in weight of metal? Are they all coins that were circulating at the same date or are they deposits of coins from different time-periods gathered together at a later date for re-burial?
An X-radiograph of the soil block before conservation taken at the Imaging Centre in the University of Southampton’s Department of Engineering Sciences. © University of Southampton
The location of the hoard is also of some interest as well. Most hoards found have been deposited in rural locations, however this example was deposited in a specially constructed box against the inside face of a masonry wall within an occupied urban Roman building.
You can keep up with the latest news on the progress of the hoard conservation by following the blog entries at the British Museum here:
<< Beau Street Hoard Blog >>
Source: British Museum
The crisis of the Third century and the Diocletianic reforms (Yale Lecture)
Current thought concerning overarching causes and pressures which led to the prevalence of 3rd century hoards.