Treasure of axes

The Treasure of Beilen is a deposit from the late Roman Empire . On March 31, 1955, some gold objects were recovered in Beilen (today the municipality of Midden-Drenthe , Netherlands ) in secondary relocated soil. The finders initially withheld this, but after a few days the find was reported. First five neck rings, a bracelet and four solidi were picked up. The relocated soil was searched again after the first pieces became known, and further solidi could be recovered. A total of 23 gold coins came to light. The total weight is 555.765 grams, of which the coins weigh 98.165 grams. The four final coins were minted on Emperor Honorius between September 394 and January 395 in Milan; they give the term post quem of concealment.

Good parallels to the neck rings with a hallmarked, widened middle part can only be found in hoard finds on the Lower Rhine and in Westphalia, for example in the Velp treasure from 1851 (neck rings type Velp). The chokers of hatchets were rolled up before they were hidden and could therefore no longer be worn. In the case of treasure finds with chokers of the Velp type, it is discussed whether these were hidden in times of crisis and should be raised again or whether they are victims. In the case of the find from hatchets, it can speak for an interpretation as a victim that the neck rings have been deliberately made unusable.

The origin of the excavated earth could no longer be determined exactly, as several sites had been built in the area in question. Since the findings have been destroyed, it cannot be ruled out that parts of the original inventory have been lost. The find ended up in the Drents Museum .

In the location of Beilen, a gold neck ring was found in 1852, probably also from the late Roman period, but it was melted down a short time later.

literature

HT Waterbolk and Willem Glasbergen : The late Roman gold treasure of axes. Palaeohistoria IV, 1955, pp. 81-101.
Annie Nicolette Zadoks-Josephus Jitta : The Late Roman Gold Hoard of Beilen. The Coins. Palaeohistoria IV, 1955, pp. 103-111.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Dieter Quast: Velp and related treasure finds of the early 5th century. Acta Praehistorica et Archaeologica 41, 2009, pp. 207–230 especially p. 221 with note 64.

[1] Dieter Quast: Velp and related treasure finds of the early 5th century. Acta Praehistorica et Archaeologica 41, 2009, pp. 207–230 especially p. 221 with note 64.