Potted History (Mildenhall) | Series 17 Episode 6 | Time Team

Time Team Classics・3 minutes read

The largest coin horde found in Britain, consisting of 55,000 coins worth 550 pounds, was discovered in a Wiltshire field, leading to the discovery of Canettio, a lost Roman town that evolved from a small settlement to a formal town before disappearing underground. The Time Team conducted extensive surveys and excavations to uncover the layout, history, and various artifacts of Canettio, shedding light on its role as a market town and taxation center in the Roman urban landscape.

Insights

The largest coin hoard found in Britain, consisting of 55,000 coins worth 550 pounds, was discovered in a Wiltshire field, providing crucial dating evidence for Canettio, a Roman town that was lost for almost 2,000 years and unearthed through geophysics and excavation efforts.
The excavation at Canettio revealed a complex history of the site, showcasing a small economic market center in the Roman urban landscape, potentially explaining the abundance of coins found, while also highlighting the town's evolution from a small settlement to a formalized town with gridded streets before disappearing underground due to Roman bureaucratic influence.

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Summary

00:00

"Britain's Largest Coin Horde Uncovered in Wiltshire"

The largest coin horde found in Britain consisted of 55,000 coins, discovered in a Wiltshire field.
The site of Canettio, a Roman town, is located in Wiltshire, between London and South Wales, near Marlborough.
Canettio was lost for almost 2,000 years until aerial photographs in the 1940s revealed its existence.
A geophysical survey, the largest by Time Team, is conducted to investigate Canettio.
The team aims to uncover the layout and history of Canettio through geophysics and excavation.
Trench one is dug to find the gateway and watchtower of Canettio's southern wall.
A radar device named Jimmy is used for utility mapping on the archaeological site, a first in Britain.
Trench two focuses on identifying a large building believed to be an "amancio" or Roman travel lodge.
The discovery of coins dating from the 3rd to 4th centuries provides crucial dating evidence for Canettio.
The excavation uncovers various artifacts, including a spoon, pottery, and architectural remnants, shedding light on Canettio's history.

15:12

Unearthing Roman Coin Hoard Mystery in Punetio

A plow potentially unearthed a coin horde from Punetio, adding to the mystery of potential treasure.
Rain caused setbacks, with the radar machine's computer affected, leading to manual efforts to continue the search.
Excavations revealed a Roman building, possibly a mansion, with stone roof tiles and a courtyard area.
Trench one uncovered a possible gateway, hinting at a demolished entrance or architectural changes.
Geophysics teams surveyed the field, identifying features like a villa-type building and rooms within.
Trench three unearthed a two-story building with potential floor levels, while trench four found a variety of floor layers.
Pottery findings suggested the building's construction around the second century A.D., with no late Roman artifacts.
Canettio was likely a small economic market center in the Roman urban landscape, possibly explaining the abundance of coins found.
The 1978 coin hoard discovery may provide insights into Canettio's role as a market town and taxation center.
Efforts to locate the buried coin hoard continue, with coordinates being mapped out for further exploration.

29:16

Uncovering Ancient Hoard Outside Town Walls

Henry marked the ground where he believes the coin hoard should be located.
Geophysics revealed a strong spike response at the marked spot outside the town walls.
Trench five was dug to investigate the location of the hoard outside the town walls.
The geophysics survey showed a complex history of the site with various features.
The team aimed to find the exact spot of the hoard to understand its context.
The geophysics survey was praised but deemed messy due to overlapping features.
The team focused on the earlier town layout revealed by the geophysics survey.
The team identified a crossroads outside the town walls indicating early activity.
The team discovered a potential kitchen area with a chalk structure and an oven.
The team discussed possible reasons for the hoard burial, including community offerings.

44:11

Roman town unearthed with 55,000 coins

A hoard of 55,000 1p coins, worth 550 pounds, was discovered, likely from the Roman period, with each coin valued at around one pence.
The Time Team uncovered an entire Roman town after an extensive survey covering 27 acres, collecting nearly half a million data points, revealing a settlement that evolved from a small settlement around a crossroads in the first century to a more formalized town with gridded streets in the second century, eventually disappearing underground due to Roman bureaucratic influence in later periods.