Bronze Age Celtic finds - Newport

[Neil]

Reproduced courtesy of BBC online.

An amateur treasure hunter unearthed two Iron Age bronze bowls and a wine strainer just months after taking up metal detecting, an inquest has heard. The rare artefacts, of "great importance for the UK," were found in Newport, south Wales, in December 2007. It is believed the objects dating from around AD 25 were a religious offering.

The Gwent Coroner declared them treasure trove. Security guard Craig Mills, who found the bowls, said he did not "have a clue" how old they were". The 35-year-old came across the items in the Langstone area of the city, only nine months after he took up metal detecting.

"I was detecting for nine months before that and I have found nothing like it."

It is believed the objects were used for eating or drinking and were deliberately buried intact as a religious offering. They are believed to have been made around 25-60 AD and were buried at the time of the Roman army's campaign against the Iron Age Silures tribe of south Wales, between 47 and 75 AD.

The two near-complete bowls have rounded bases, carefully formed rims and decorated fittings with rings for hanging them up and the strainer has a rounded bowl-shaped body with a wide, flat rim and a similar suspension ring.

The decoration on all the vessels is of the late Celtic or La Tene style of the late Iron Age.

Ancient bog

Adam Gwilt, curator of the Iron Age Collections at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, said: "This discovery is of great importance for Wales and the UK.

"Similar bowls have been found in western and southern Britain, but few find-spots have been carefully and recently investigated by archaeologists.

"It seems these valued and whole containers were carefully buried at the edge of an ancient bog or lake, as part of a ritual offering.

"We are looking forward to researching and investigating further during 2009, in order to reveal the full story of how these impressive decorated pieces were made, used and buried."

The items were declared treasure by Gwent coroner David Bowen under the Treasure Act of 1996.

It is hoped they will be displayed at the Cardiff museum in 2010.

[coleggwent(phil)]

they are lovely finds neil im sure i know mr mills im sure we have been out once or twice well done to him  thanks for that neil

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Yeah well done Neil

[Neil]

Its a lovely find Phil - although looking at them I wouldn't have dated them to Celtic Period, but they clearly have an age - shows what I know I suppose!

I don't think its the Mr Mills you are thinking of as I think these were found in 2007. Lovely Welsh find though regardless.

So, heres a question if the Silures are working bronze - why not gold? I am adamant that there is a hoard of Welsh Silurian Celtic coins waiting to be found that will rewrite history. I know we have visited this debate before, but its something I feel passionate about. There is no way in my opinion if everyone else is using  and minting gold currency around you that you wouldn't bother doing so. The romans deemed Wales wealthy enough in Gold and Tin to put it on Ceasar initial shopping list, so how come they knew it was here?

Its going to happen, I just hope it falls to a Detectingwales member.

Before I leave this Earth I am sure history will be re-written!

Neil

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Well I'd like you to open a Silurian Stater  to be or not to be   Thread Neil.  Should be informative  I think we should have a discussion about our Celtic Neighbors fella

[Neil]

Do it Rob - it'll be interesting to hear peoples opinions

[Roman (Ray)]

YES GOOD IDEA ROB.
THESE LAST FEW WEEKS.
IVE LEARNED ALOT ABOUT THE CELTS.LOL.

[coleggwent(phil)]

i cant see why they didnot have coins there was alot of welsh gold being mined and they had gold artifacts like the tribe tincomarus the discovery of the Alton Hoard in 1996 brought to light gold staters with the new legend TINCOMARVS 

[1morecoin]

There was a Silver Stater found in Llanmaes on one of the Archaeological digs a couple of years ago, but this coin was a rare Irish issue.
But as Neil says Wales was a very important area for mining in the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and I also believe that the next Historically important find will come from the Vale.
Mark Lodwig told me that there are no recorded examples of Iron Age Gold Torcs in Wales yet. he said there are plenty of recorded Bronze Age Torcs but no Iron Age.
He also said that if one is found it would be an extremely important find, he also added that if one was going to turn up as a metaldetector find he would'nt be surprised if it came from Llanmaes.

We've just got to have the weather to get out there.

[bymatt666 (byron)]

i'll do my best to find some gold silurian staters for you neil..... ....seriously though...the logic says there should be gold from that period around...so lets hope DW uncovers some soon..... ....good luck everyone.....byron