archaeologists in France They discovered three old jars full Thousands of Roman coins. These ceramic jars, known as amphorae, are characteristic of Greek and Roman culture and their origins date back to the Neolithic period.
The amphoras They were buried in the floors of houses in an 1,800-year-old settlement and were found during excavations carried out by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) of France in the city of Senon, France.
According to Inrap, they contained three bottles in total more than 40,000 Roman coins. “The first hoard contained about 38 kilograms of coins, which is approximately 23,000 to 24,000 coins,” he explained. Vincent GenevieveResearcher at the institute, in an interview with the website Live Science.
The second amphora, including the coins, weighed around 50 kilograms. “Judging by the 400 coins recovered from the neck broken at the time of discovery, “It could contain between 18,000 and 19,000 coins”Genevieve added. He also revealed that the third amphora had already been removed and that only three coins were found in the hole in which it was located.
Archaeologists believe that these amphorae are not hidden reserves kept in times of uncertainty. The main hypothesis is that these deposits reflect complex, medium and long-term planned currency managementwithin families or administrations that can make deposits and withdrawals at variable intervals.
It was observed that in two cases the coins attached to the outside of the vessels were deposited there after their burial. In addition, the amphoras were found in common areas and at ground level, suggesting this They were easily accessible to their owners.
The village of Senon is located in northeastern France, a region whose history dates back and forth to the Gallic period during the Roman conquest. The inhabitants of the area belonged to one of the Celtic tribes that the Romans called Gauls.
The Inrap expedition unearthed several excavated structures such as ditches, ditches and holes, which attest to the presence of Gaulish period structures made of perishable materials. mainly wooden structures filled with rammed earth.
The excavations revealed that a group of settlements existed on the site before the Roman conquest: the remains appear to have originated between the beginning of the Roman period and in the 2nd century B.C. BCand the change of times.
In the early Roman period, urban growth and changes in building methods – such as the decline in the use of earth and wood in favor of stone – led to led to intensive exploitation of the local limestone. Proof of this is the presence of ten quarries in the area, some of which They reach depths of up to three meters.
Originally these quarries were located behind houses, in areas corresponding to terraces or gardens, and were gradually exploited by urban development. Later they were reused and converted, mainly by building dry stone walls on the top, which formed a kind of curb. The mining of local limestone was important to the region’s economy until the 9th century..
The Roman period in the region was characterized by the construction of stone houses and roads. This was proven by the good state of preservation of the site’s remains: several houses were found on both sides of the observed cobbled streets, consisting of living rooms, cellars, living or craft rooms and large terraces at the back of the houses.
These architectural features and material culture are revealed through the objects discovered at the archaeological site indicate that the population living there was wealthy and possibly consisted of artisans or merchants. This privileged location also matches the location of this residential area in the heart of the city, where the public square, temples, baths and a theater are located.
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