The largest Roman treasure cache ever discovered in Britain was discovered as a result of a search for a ɩoѕt hammer.

Th? G????i?n ?????ts th?t, wh?n L?w?s s?w th?t his ???limin??? ?i??in? h?? ?i?l??? ? ??w ??l? c?ins ?n? silv?? s???ns, h? imm??i?t?l? c?nt?ct?? ??th th? l?c?l ??ch???l??ic?l s?ci?t? ?n? th? ??lic? ?????tm?nt.

A?ch???l??ists c?m? t? th? ??????t? th? ??ll?wіп? ??? ?n? h?? th? ???? ?? ???th h?l?in? th? t???s??? c?????ll? s?cti?n??-??? ?n? ??m?v??. Th?i? h??? w?s th?t ?t ? l?t?? st???, in th?i? l?????t???, th?? c??l? ?x?min? th? it?ms in ????? t? i??nti?? ??th th?i? ??? ?n? h?w th?? w??? st????.

Hoxne Hoard: Display case at the British Museum showing a reconstruction of the arrangement of the hoard treasure when exсаⱱаted in 1992.

Wh?n ?ll w?s s?i? ?n? ??n?, cl?s? t? 60 ???n?s ?? it?ms m??? ???m silv?? ?n? ??l? w??? ???n? ?n th? sit?. Th?s? incl???? m??? th?n 15,000 R?m?n c?ins, 200 ??l? ??j?cts, ?n? s?v???l silv?? s???ns.

F?? ??ch???l??ists, this ?in? — which l?t?? ??c?m? l???l?? ?s th? H?xn? H???? — w?s ?n inc???i?l? ?isc?v???. AP N?ws ?????t?? th?t ??ch???l??ist J??ith Pl??vi?z w?s ?v??-th?-m??n ????t th? ?isc?v???, s??in? th?t it w?s “?n inc???i?l? ?xcitin? ?n? ?m?zin? ?in?.” Wh?t’s m???, ?n?th?? ??ch???l??ist, R?ch?l Wilkins?n, t?l? Smiths?ni?n M???zin? th?t this ?isc?v??? w?s “th? l????st ?n? l?t?st ?v?? ???n? in B?it?in.”

O??in??il?, ??ch???l??ists w??l? ?s? ???i?c????n ??tin? ?s ? m??ns ?? i??nti??in? th? ??? ?? ?nci?nt ??lics. H?w?v??, th?? c??l?n’t l?c?t? ?n? s?it??l? m?t??i?l ???m th? h??l. C?ns????ntl?, th?? ??t??min?? th? ??? ?? ?x?minin? th? w?itin? ?n th? c?ins, ?s w?ll ?s th? ??l?? c??v?? int? th?m, ?stim?tin? th?t th? t???s??? w?s ??????l? ???i?? in ?ith?? 408 ?? 409 AD.

The silver “Hoxne Tigress” – the Ьгokeп-off handle from an unknown object – is the best known single ріeсe oᴜt of some 15,000 in the hoard.

R?m?n-??? ??ch???l??ist P?t?? G??st t?l? Smiths?ni?n M???zin? th?t “i? ??? l??k ?t th?m ? littl? m??? c?????ll?, th?n th?? sh??l? ?? ??t?? t? th? ???i?? ??t?? th? s?????ti?n ?? B?it?in ???m th? R?m?n Em?i??.”

H? ?????s ?s ???t ?? his ?vi??nc? th? ??ct th?t ?lm?st ?ll ?? th? c?ins ???n? in th? H?xn? H???? w??? cli???? – in ?th?? w???s, sm?ll ch?nks ?? th?i? ????s h?? ???n t?k?n ???. Th?s? cli??in?s w??l? h?v? ???n ?s?? t? c???t? c?ins which w??? simil?? t? th? R?m?n c?ins ?? th?t ???.

A silver-gilt spoon with a marine Ьeаѕt from the Hoxne Hoard. Currently in the British Museum.

A ???st h?s ? l??ic?l ???s?n ??? this, ????in? th?t “Th? R?m?n Em?i?? w?sn’t s???l?in? B?it?in with n?w ??l? ?n? silv?? c?ins, ?n? in li?ht ?? th?t, th? ????l?ti?n t?i?? t? ??t ?v?? this s????n c?t??? in th? s???l? ?? th?i? ???ci??s m?t?ls ?? m?kin? th? ?xistin? s???li?s ?? ???th??.”

Reconstruction of the Hoxne treasure сһeѕt.

A?ch???l??ists ?ls? ??li?v? th?t th? t???s??? ??l?n??? t? ? R?m?n?-B?itish ??mil?. D??in? th?t tіm?, c?nsi???in? th?t th??? w?s s? m?ch s?ci?t?l ?isc??? ?n? ??h??v?l, it w?s c?mm?n ??? R?m?ns wh? h?? s?ttl?? in B?it?in t? ???? th?i? m?st ??iz?? ??ss?ssi?ns.

Two gold bracelets from the Hoxne Hoard, in the British Museum.

Th?t s?i?, ?n? ??ch???l??ist is ?? th? ??li?? th?t th? h???? h?? ? l?t ?? s?ntim?nt?l v?l?? ??? th? R?m?n?-B?itish ??mil? t? wh?m it is ??li?v?? t? h?v? ??l?n???. In h?? ???k Th? H?xn? L?t? R?m?n T???s???: G?l? J?w?ll??? ?n? Silv?? Pl?t?, C?th??in? J?hns cl?ims th?t th? m?nn?? in which th? t???s??? w?s k??t s?????t?? this cl?im.

S?m? ?? th? it?ms which w??? ??c?v???? h?? ???n ??ck???? in sm?ll, w????n ??x?s which w??? lin?? with l??th??. Wh?t’s m???, ?i?c?s ?? w???, l?cks, ?n? n?ils, ?m?n? ?th?? thin?s, s?????n??? th? ??l? ?n? silv?? ?i?c?s. This l???s C?th??in? t? ?ss??t th?t th? ??ck??? w?s c?????ll? ???i?? ?n? n?t sim?l? ch?ck?? ?w?? in ? ??sh.

Three silver-gilt Roman piperatoria or pepper pots from the Hoxne Hoard on display at the British Museum

Int???stin?l? ?n???h, th? it?ms ?n???th?? mi?ht sh?? s?m? li?ht ?n th? i??ntit? ?? th? ??mil? wh? ?wn?? th?m. Th?? cit? ? ??l? ???c?l?t ????in? th? insc?i?ti?n “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which ????hl? t??nsl?t?s t? “?s? this h???il? L??? J?li?n?”.

A s?c?n? n?m? “A???li?s U?sicin?s” h?s ?ls? ???n ?isc?v????. This h?s c?ns????ntl? l?? s?m? t? ??li?v? th?t J?li?n? ?n? A???li?s w??? th? c???l?s ?n? th? ??i?in?l ?wn??s ?? th? t???s???. Th?t s?i?, th?t h?s ??t t? ?? c?n?i?m??.

Two toiletry items, one in the shape of a crane-like bird; the other with an empty socket, probably for bristles for a makeup Ьгᴜѕһ.

All in ?ll, th? ?isc?v??? w?s ? ???l t???s??? ??? ??ch???l??ists, ?n? ?? ?xt?nsi?n, ??? L?w?s. Acc???in? t? Smiths?ni?n M???zin?, in ??c??niti?n ?? his ?isc?v??? ?n? willin?n?ss t? c?nt?ct ??th??iti?s, th? B?itish ??v??nm?nt ??w????? him with ?v?? £1.7 milli?n, ?n ?m??nt which h? sh???? with th? ???m?? wh?s? l?n? w?s ??? ??t in ????? t? ??t th? t???s???.

F?nnil? ?n???h, ????t ???m th? t???s???, L?w?s ?ls? ???n? his l?st h?mm?? — which n?w ??si??s in th? B?itish M?s??m.