Silsden Hoard
Encyclopedia
The Silsden Hoard is an assemblage containing 27 gold coins of late British Iron Age
date and a Roman
finger ring.
was discovered in 1998 by Jeff Walbank using a metal detector
in a field at Silsden
in West Yorkshire
, England
. The hoard was declared to be treasure
before being acquired by Bradford
Art Galleries and Museums in 2000. The hoard is now on display at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley
, near where it was found.
dating from the 1st century AD. Most of the coins were issued by Cunobelinus
, at various times throughout his reign. Others were issued by his brother Epaticcus
. Coins of the Corieltauvi were also part of the hoard.
In addition to the coins, a finger ring, almost certainly of Roman
provenance, was also found. The ring contains a gemstone bearing the figure of a man. The exact means of how this came to be a part of the hoard are still subject to debate.
, all of which contain Corieltauvian coins. It is thought that the hoards were deposited by British refugees fleeing the Roman invasion
of AD 43, under the Emperor
Claudius
and, as such, may be associated with accounts of the flight of Caratacus
, the son of Cunobelinus, whose policies were used by the Romans as a pretext for the invasion.
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
date and a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
finger ring.
Discovery
The hoardHoard
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...
was discovered in 1998 by Jeff Walbank using a metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
in a field at Silsden
Silsden
Silsden is a town and civil parish situated in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the northern slope of the Aire Valley between Keighley and Skipton. It is about from the river. Along the lower edge of the town is the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The hoard was declared to be treasure
Treasure trove
A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the heirs undiscoverable...
before being acquired by Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
Art Galleries and Museums in 2000. The hoard is now on display at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
, near where it was found.
Contents of the Hoard
The Silsden Hoard was found to contain 27 gold statersStater
The stater was an ancient coin used in various regions of Greece.-History:The stater is mostly of Macedonian origin. Celtic tribes brought it in to Europe after using it as mercenaries in north Greece. It circulated from the 8th century BC to 50 AD...
dating from the 1st century AD. Most of the coins were issued by Cunobelinus
Cunobelinus
Cunobeline or Cunobelinus was a historical king in pre-Roman Britain, known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and from his many inscribed coins...
, at various times throughout his reign. Others were issued by his brother Epaticcus
Epaticcus
Epaticcus or Epaticcu was a brother of Cunobelinus, king of the Catuvellauni, a tribe of Iron Age Britain.Coins bearing his name begin to appear in the northern lands of the neighbouring Atrebates tribe and their capital, Calleva Atrebatum , probably fell to him around AD 25...
. Coins of the Corieltauvi were also part of the hoard.
In addition to the coins, a finger ring, almost certainly of Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
provenance, was also found. The ring contains a gemstone bearing the figure of a man. The exact means of how this came to be a part of the hoard are still subject to debate.
Historical background
The hoard is one of three found in the former territories of the BrigantesBrigantes
The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England, and a significant part of the Midlands. Their kingdom is sometimes called Brigantia, and it was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire...
, all of which contain Corieltauvian coins. It is thought that the hoards were deposited by British refugees fleeing the Roman invasion
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...
of AD 43, under the Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
and, as such, may be associated with accounts of the flight of Caratacus
Caratacus
Caratacus was a first century British chieftain of the Catuvellauni tribe, who led the British resistance to the Roman conquest....
, the son of Cunobelinus, whose policies were used by the Romans as a pretext for the invasion.