Rare Hoard of Roman tin discovered in Euston., West Suffolk. The hoard consists of a neat stack of plates and plates, with smaller bowls and a cup placed on top and to the side of the nested plates. The metal is not dated, but Roman pewter hoards in Britain are generally dated to the 4th century.
Faye Minter, Head of Archaeological Archives and Projects at Suffolk County Council, said:
“This is an important discovery. Large plates and bowls were used so that food could be shared, and octagonal bowls may have a Christian meaning. Similar hoards can be found in the south of Britain, including in the nearby major Roman sites at Icklingham and Hawkwold.”
It was discovered by metal detector Martin White during a rally on September 3, 2022. They alerted Suffolk County Council archaeologists, who determined that the complex was in a fragile state and needed to be assembled in one group for separation and laboratory conservation. This was done on September 20th.
The group was excavated at the Norfolk Museum Service laboratory. There is evidence of heavy plow damage to the ships, and advanced corrosion has fused several of them together.
The main stack consisted of five plates and plates nested inside each other. Corrosive materials make it impossible to separate the stack into individual plates. The top of the stack was fragmented and was partially lifted during the opening process, so it was saved separately. It has a perforated decoration in the center – lines of stampings inside two concentric circles. –
Next to the stack of plates was a group of three plates, one bowl on top of two small plates, one of which was embossed on the inside of the flat rim. On one side of the main stack of plates, a single inverted bowl was found. Next to the stack of plates were two bowls with octagonal edges, also rusted together, as was one conical bowl. The octagonal shape may be a Christian reference.
As tin is not a precious metal, this treasure of inestimable archaeological value cannot be considered an official treasure (the wheels of Parliament grind painfully slowly closing this loophole_ and therefore belongs to the owner of the property. It was found on Euston Manor, which the Duke of Grafton does , owner of the treasure, donated it Anglo-Saxon Village and West Stowe Museum, near Bury St Edmunds. The surviving treasure is now on display there until January 2024.
