COIN HOARDS AS EVIDENCE OF TRAGEDIES. SOME GENERAL REMARKS ON THE NORTH OF GAUL (3RD CENTURY AD)

Abstract

Hundreds of Roman hoards containing fairly good silver coins were buried around mid-3rd century AD in the north-west of Gaul. Most were not found in houses but hidden in the ground. Why were so many hoards buried outside the safety of a dwelling and, more importantly, why they have never been recovered? The author explores different explanations and suggests that valuables are only buried outside a house into the soil in case of an emergency. In his view, epidemics, natural disasters or religious offerings do not explain these large numbers of hoards. He returns to the traditional explanation i.e. violence and more specifically invasions from outside the empire. Examples from Estonia during WWII, and others, are exploited to demonstrate that men bury belongings and memorabilia in the ground, when they have to abandon their homes in case of danger.

Keywords

• roman empire, coin hoards, gaul, invasions, 3rd century ad crisis