Hoard - locations

[Plodder]

This is a genuine question: If you were a Roman, where would you have hidden a chest of gold coins?

a) In open pasture land
b) In open pasture land, near a landmark (such as a group of trees)
c) In a forest
d) Near a river

I ask as I'm trying to narrow-down where I go looking.

I wonder if there's a common theme as to the location of where most hoards were hidden.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Howard

[nfl]

  ;Dsorry but this is a mad question,,,,, ???where would you hide something ,,,i notice the romans favour hills as hoard spots.........or valleys,or plains,,, i dunno if you find a hoard you can tell us

[db4]

I would look for agriculture, as the pot/chest would be buried deep
its profile would not stand out (crop marks) as the land would be in
constant use. It would have to be near some point of interest so that i could
find it later.

[herbie]

I wish I knew

To be honest I think the best thing is to try and learn as much about the history of the area you're planning to detect: old buildings,settlements etc, research place names as well, they often give a clue to the history of a place. Look out for well known ancient sites / towns / roads in the area.

The trouble with trying to guess where in the landscape things might be is that it has probably changed an awful lot since Roman times, and as far as trees go then I don't think any that you see today will have been around 2000yrs ago (with the exception of very old Yew I suppose), certainly some large Oaks may have stood for a few hundred years so it's always worth having a detect around them.

I have found with my land that I've gradually built a picture up of the kind of settlement / use it's seen through the things I have found, in conjunction with it's known history, that's one of the best bits about the hobby for me.

Good Luck

Herbie

[nfl]

oh my life,,what you guys have to remember is what was woods then is now fields,,,pasture was once woods,rivers change course,......so finding a hoard is a game of luck,,unless you have a time machine

[waltonbasinman]

I have a Hoard setting on my detectors. When ever I put this setting on they go, "HA HA" No chance, but to be fair as Paul has said what was wood is now field, what was field is now wood, who knows what anyone has done with the land in the preceeding 2000 years. If you find a hoard good luck to you but I know of no secret route to find one.   

[Chef Geoff]

Well I would love to know if anyone in the UK has ever managed to find a hoard by research, I doubt it. If you mean just Roman then obviously a Roman occupation area is your first requirement But as Paul has said the landscape will have changed dramatically in 2000 years, but there are a few things that may help point you in the right direction.

The fast majority of hoards are not buried out in fields or in woods or near features in the landscape they are things of Stevenson's novels They are either under the floor of the living area or in the very close (visible) vicinity. If you imagine getting all your life's savings and putting them in a pot/bag now are you really going to want to bury them where you can't keep an eye on them? No, didn't think so.
Plus personal hoards are generally savings so are added too or taken away from at regular intervals so walking across the fields with you stick or whatever else your going to dig with is going to give the game away.
So as the Romans preferred to live with their homes facing South by South East and they would need a water course it can cut out a great many places.

Good luck and don't forget who told you where it was

[rjm]

That's good logic Geoff. I can go with that.

Most Roman buildings are near water so that's a starting point.

[nfl]

the theory that the romans liked there buldings to face east west is a correct theory but if it points in the direction of a hoard is highly unlikely {didnt the wealthy romans have windows }im sure they could have seen 360o in any direction if they desired,,so the burying of a hoard {if they had the means to bury one}still could be anywhere within the immediate vicinity,,then you have to take in account hoards of mercenary travellars burying there wealth as they went {could be anywhere}tradesmen,merchants etc,,,,im afraid that the finding of a hoard is the same odds as the euro lottery and there are probably 99.7 of people on this site {or have used this site will never find one },,when i started tectin i used to think i would find a hoard and after 4 years of tectin i belive i will never find one,,,,,,,,,if fact i dont try to find 1 ,,all i do is detect as a hobby wich i love and maybe ,just maybe one of those days i may find something worth running round the fields jumping up and down in excitement  ,,but untill that day{if it comes}the only hoards i know of are in people collections that have been tectin for a while  ,,,,,,,damn good idea lets all bury our finds as hoards and give the archis of the 27th cen to jump around about

[Chef Geoff]

Well your never going to find one then lol,. not east west that's churches  Most houses up until quite recently were if possible built facing south south east to take maximum advantage of the rising sun (heat and warmth).
Ah I see my post forgot to point out the fact that rising ground was favourable, umm sorry, so a south facing piece of rising ground is the important bit.
As for travelling merchants burying their nest eggs, well there have been a few hoards that have been attributed to this purely on the grounds of them being found on the edge of settlements with no obvious dwelling close by. But none of a Roman date that I'm aware at.
4 years? God Paul you've only just learned how to put the batteries in lol

[staterchaser]

Another point worth mentioning is if I wanted to bury my wealth I would certainly spread it into 2 or 3 holes not 1 just incase it was found. So if you do come across one keep looking as there would be a strong likelyhood there would be another close by!
As far as me finding one, I'm on the case 

[Neil]

I think we all  live in hope of finding a hoard and I for one have not given up on it. Positive mental attitude chaps - its going to happen to a regular poster here one day. I know a select few on here have already been lucky enough. Its only a matter of time until someone else joins their ranks.

Neil

[rjm]

Depends on your definition of hoard............. "two or more coins buried together............"

I've had a few hoards then!!!    Well, maybe a couple  

[nfl]

i really dont think i could handle the finding of a hoard,,,jelousy,disapointment,red tape,maybe the loss of detecting ground,,fallouts etc id rather leave it in the ground ,,personally speaking i have over 140 hammys in my possesion  and that to me is a good hoard  ,some of you will have more,,we are creating our hoards all the time,with a lot less hastle ,,,hoards were put in the ground  for the benefit of whoever buried them,i say let em lie where they be .........what would you do with a hoard ?....SELL IT ,,somehow it dosent do it justice to the people that buried it in the first place. 

[Dusty]

Depends on your definition of hoard............. "two or more coins buried together............"

Hey, me to!