Archaeologists in the United Kingdom recently discovered 1,000-year-old treasure in an unusual location: a construction site for a nuclear power plant.
Oxford Cotswold Archeology (OCA) announced the discovery, which consists of 321 silver coins, in a press release on 7 January. The coins were found at the Sizewell C nuclear station in Suffolk, England.
The coins were issued between 1036 and 1044, the organization said – predating Magna Carta by nearly 200 years and the Battle of Hastings by several decades. They were found in “mint condition” in a lead and cloth bundle, in a package that researchers have compared to a Cornish pasty.
“The trunk was found at the junction of two early medieval field boundary ditches, a location that hints at a deliberate concealment,” the organization described. “The coins were carefully placed inside a textile object, perhaps a bag, and then tightly wrapped in lead foil.”
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Oxford Cotswold Archeology (OCA) announced the discovery, which consists of 321 silver coins, in a recent press release. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
“This fantastic find gives us a great insight into the English monetary and political landscapes of the 11th century.”
The coins within the treasury were issued during the reigns of three kings of the House of Wessex: Harold I (1036-40), Harthacnut (1040-2) and Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Most of the coins were minted in London, while others were produced in the English cities of Thetford, Norwich, Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford.
The coins were made at a “turbulent” time period in English history: Harold and Harthacnut were both sons of Cnut, whose father Sweyn Forkbeard became the first Danish king to rule England. Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, months before the Normans took control of England after the Battle of Hastings.
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Archaeologists say the sheaf of coins would have been enough to buy several cows in the 1000s. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
Archaeologists believe the coins’ owner may have been robbed during a regime change, perhaps when Edward was crowned in 1043.
“In particular, some of the wealthiest individuals associated with the previous regime were exiled or had their property confiscated after Edward’s coronation,” the OCA explained. “The owner of the coin deposit may have feared the consequences of regime change and decided to bury their property as a hedge, intending to recover it at a later date.”
“We may never know for sure why this little treasure was never found,” the organization added. “The owner may have been prevented from returning to the location for various reasons, died before they could retrieve their savings, or, alternatively, they were unable to locate the exact location where they were buried.”
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Coins were minted as early as the 11th century in several cities, archaeologists believe. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
In total, the 321 coins found would be worth 320 pence, as they included two halfpenny coins. The archaeological organization said it was difficult to estimate what purchasing power it would have today, but that it was comparable to a “savings pot”.
“Although it is difficult to equate this amount of money with modern purchasing power, evidence from law codes of the 10th and 11th centuries suggests that cattle were worth approximately 20p each,” the OCA explained. “Using this metric, we can estimate that he may have bought about 16 cows – a small herd!”
Although certainly a pile of money, archaeologists said the treasure would be more equal to the savings of a wealthy person than to the entire fortune of a king.
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“This pile is not of such a large size as to indicate extreme wealth,” the statement explained. “(The owner) was almost certainly not of national importance or super-elite status. It was more likely to have been owned by a person of local power, perhaps a wealthy farmer.”
Experts say the coins were the “savings pot” of a wealthy person, rather than belonging to a king. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
In a statement, OCA coin specialist Alexander Bliss said the analysis of the hoard included “input from numerous specialists and project partners in the fields of numismatics, finds and conservation”.
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“This new hoard of coins provides us with a valuable insight into the rich historical background of this period, adding to the evidence that Edward the Confessor’s ascension to the English throne was marked by a degree of uncertainty and unrest within wider society,” said Bliss. “To play a small part in making her story come true has been an honor and a privilege.”
