BEHIND THE DIG : AUTUMN DETECTIVAL DAY 2
More Romans, Cuban Delicacies and an Imposter!
We’ve already had an amazing start on the Roman at Autumn Detectival 2023. We decided to head to Field 41 on the Saturday as after some very important research on Friday night we discovered it was near a Celtic Field System and had rumours of Roman Buildings being found nearby. Indeed several historic discoveries of Roman Villa’s are mentioned throughout the history of Badminton Park. We seemed to strike it lucky picking a field which had a strong Roman hotspot in the lower half towards a stream trickling by. Which does make sense really as water would have been such an important resource to ancient life.
We unearthed 6 Romans in the 30 degree heat before a shade siesta, a beautiful array of late 3rd and 4th century coinage from Barbarous Radiates to GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse types and had just been treated to a lovely half cut short cross of King John upon our renewed re attack of the hot zone. But what else is waiting for us here under the stubble?
Our small piece of early Medieval silver has certainly put a spring in our step and a slow in our stride as it seems apparent that there are still plenty of finds lurking here, even in late afternoon after most of Detectival has pottered across. But we are after something special, and something Roman. We are Roman Found after all.
But what else is waiting for us here under the stubble?
If you’ve ever found Roman coins then you know that you have to dig dozens to get that very special one. These coins have been in the ground almost 2,000 years and the soil often isn’t kind to them. Most of the time identification can be a chore as you have to practise the art of squinting and imagining what should be there. But sometimes they come up like our next discovery and make the day really special.
Lucie is plucking the strong mid teens signals from between the flattened stubble stalks as the sun gets lower throughout the afternoon. We've got the taste for Roman and want to see just how many we can find. But we never would have expected such an amazing follis of Licinius I to appear that at around 1,700 years old dating from 313 - 316 AD looks practically like it was dropped yesterday. Always a sit down moment in the fields. If you ever catch us both sitting looking stunned over a hole then it’s normally a pretty good sign.
With the very popular reverse type of the GENIO POP ROM, the most fascinating tale that this coin has to tell us is all about Emperor Licinius himself. Who was actually the son of a peasant. So just how did he become ruler of the Roman Empire? Well, you see, Licinius was clever and befriended Emperor Galerius as he rose through the ranks of the Roman Military.
He had exemplary performance during his service and was even awarded his own military command in Danube, before at the conference of Carnuntum in 308 AD he was suddenly raised to the rank of Augustus and granted his own territories. All that really earnt Licinius the throne was his friendship to Galerius and during his reign he continuously found himself at war with Constantine I even after trying to cement his position by marrying Constantine’s Sister. But alas Licinius was unfaithful in his marriage and thus resulted in a constant and ongoing battle between the two emperors.
An incredible Roman number 7 to add to the tally and we’ve unearthed romans of all shapes and sizes today which is something that is incredibly common for Roman Sites, and especially ones that date to the later 3rd and 4th Centuries. But why are they so varied?
Known as Constantinian Bronzes the currency that comes from this period has greatly suffered under economic pressures experiencing almost constant inflation, debasement and currency reforms. Of course there are also alot of contemporary forgeries like the barbarous radiates that we have found that appear in the mix too. So the Roman monetary system is essentially collapsing, coins are becoming increasingly smaller and smaller and bear less and less value and it’s really just a whole mess with the Roman Public never quite knowing what size is going to appear next or what value it will have.
If you ever catch us both sitting looking stunned over a hole then it’s normally a pretty good sign.
Roman number 8 that makes an appearance shortly after our Follis is a rather large radiate grot that will come from the earlier period of this time where the economy was slightly more stable than the period of the really tiny ones that it’s joining in the finds tin.
Super happy with our Licinius Follis and starting to feel done for the day we slowly potter our way towards the shaded tree avenue that runs down the side of the field. The late afternoon soon is starting to take its toll and it's about time to return to base camp for the day. We have been out here since 10am. But there’s a signal waiting for us on the very edge of the field and it turns out to be an artefact that can actually only be found in Britain. The catch plate off a Roman Trumpet Brooch.
This is our very first Roman catchplate, an object that is actually the pin rest from a Roman Brooch and not just any old Roman Brooch, but the unique and exclusive to Britain Trumpet Brooch dating from the 1st - 2nd C AD.
Identified by its straight leg and solid catchplate the Trumpet Brooch is an important example and evidence of the blending of two cultures following the Roman Invasion of Britain. The native British Iron Age and the Romans. Here in Britain the Romano British Society developed, a unique situation where the pre existing cultural influences shaped the Roman Society that grew up here. This can be seen in the Trumpet Brooch as British craftsmen took the Roman Fibula and made it their own by opening out the head of the bow to hide and protect the pin spring mechanism from sight and creating a unique form that’s not found anywhere else.
Blown away by a Roman Found first it’s been a day uncovering some incredible finds and history on the Badminton Estate. But now it’s time for a sit down and wait for the arrival of our ride back to base camp. Or at least Ellie would like a sit down. Lucie on the other hand has different ideas and with renewed energy found in the shade can’t sit still and instead swings relentlessly up and down the grasses still hunting. She never stops. It isn’t long before Ellie gets the shout and uproots herself from her incredibly comfortable tree lean having to dig yet another hole. At least this time it was a pound coin. Something to buy the beers with later.
But there’s a signal waiting for us on the very edge of the field and it turns out to be an artefact that can actually only be found in Britain.
Arriving at the main arena not so fresh from a day out in the fields there’s only two things required after such a hard slog. A cold freshly pulled pint and a hot freshly toasted Cuban sandwich. Very much the food treat of the weekend. The Hot Rocket food van serving these cuban delicacies is a brand new addition to the arena this year and we will 100% be putting our petition in for their continued booking for Detectivals to come. This mustardy, pickly, cheesy, hot, pulled pork and smoked ham filled ciabatta delight was everything that we needed. It earns a Roman Found Digging Scran rating of 15/10 and we will have to sample many more before the weekend comes to an end, let's hope they have lots of stock.
As we tucked into our Cuban saviours the entertainment for the evening kicked off with every Detectorists favourite. The Raffle. It was hosted by Helen and Searcher Dan this year and the stage was teeming with top prize. There was not one, but two manticores to give away along with the Nokta Legend, Midi Hoard and too many prizes to name. Spirits are pretty high in the arena as bump into Silver Boy Metal Detecting on the way to the finds recording tent who like us has had a stellar day in Field 41, with a finds tin full of Roman Fibula’s and Coins. What a haul Silver Boy!
After a small siesta back at the digging palace where we recoup some energy left in the fields we rejoin Saturday evening as it hits its peak and join the hundreds of Detectorists standing talking around the firepit. It’s Searcher Dan’s birthday tonight, he is always lucky to have a Detectival birthday so that means only one thing for tonight. Drinking, singing, dancing and lots of it. Of course as always the night had to end in our new favourite location in the entire arena, the Magic Teapot tent as we surprised Dan with a birthday sing a long.
Dawn of the next morning brings with it more sore heads and a rather miserable gloom after heavy rain overnight. But it’s certainly welcome, we are sure every detectorist here wouldn’t mind a few rain showers out in the fields. The buzz word of the morning seems to be ‘Field 41’ someone has thoroughly let the cat out of the bag on the Roman Hotzone and it seems all 2,000 detectorists will be headed there today. So that confirms our plan for today. Anywhere that isn’t Field 41. It’s time to try our luck and see what a new field brings for us. It would be nice to add something Medieval to the finds tin. Or saxon. Or gold. The list goes on.
With weary little legs we decided to make good use of the tractor shuttle down to the fields, and honestly what is more fun than being in the back of a tractor trailer. Make life an adventure. We’ve decided upon Field 39 for today's digging, our small recon trip to the Finds Recording Tent last night showed us some rather nice finds that have appeared from 39 from Roman Coins, Medieval Silver and even some Gold. That’s always a top tip for the second day, visit the finds tent and see what and where stuff is coming up. 39 is also not too far from the Roman Activity in Field 41 and some research within the Roman Found Detectival Team has revealed rumours of an ancient trackway cutting across it and a sunken village on one side.
However we didn’t quite get the warmest welcome upon arrival at Field 39 as the marshal rather cheerily informed us that there was a report of a possible ordinance discovery on the far corner and it was quite likely that the whole field could get evacuated soon. Well that decides it we will have to very much stick to this side of the field, neither one of us fancies tackling the bomb half. But on group digs like these one’s where 2,000 detectorists are digging practically every signal in the field, finding an ordinance is probably just as common as finding a hoard. And for the marshalls both circumstances require exactly the same procedure. Tape off the area and call in the experts.
We can’t seem to walk more than two feet across this estate without unearthing a musket ball. It’s possibly the most common find of the weekend and every fellow detectorist's bag is weighed down with at least 9 of these beasts. You can really tell the rich hunting history of the Badminton Estate. And if you look and investigate closely enough into each musket ball they too can reveal a bit more to the story.
The very first musket ball that we unearthed in Field 39 has a funny little nodule protruding from one side. This is actually the left over sprue from its casting and quite interestingly during the Civil War Musket Balls were often casted by the soldiers in the battlefield to hand. The sprues are normally cut off with a pair of nippers or knife upon loading but when they have been left in place like this one it was often for the attachment of a paper cartridge.
The weight of these musket balls can also reveal a lot too as it identifies them as coming from 18th Century Muskets and Carbines, and the peak of the fox hunting era here at Badminton. As it was in 1762 that Henry Somerset, the 5th Duke of Beaufort, decided to focus on foxhunting after an unsuccessful day hunting deer. From that point on, the Dukes of Beaufort have participated in the hunt, often acting as Master of the hunt. Henry Somerset the 10th Duke of Beaufort actually held the position of Master for 60 years gaining a huge reputation and eventually being known simply as 'Master'.
We can’t seem to walk more than two feet across this estate without unearthing a musket ball.
But anyway that’s enough about the musket balls because we’ve both started to notice a cluster of late Medieval and Tudor pottery scattered across this bankside that we’ve wandered onto. Always an excellent sign to keep an eye out for on group digs, as where there’s pottery there’s often activity and that can only mean one thing. Metal artefacts. We’ve also heard wonderful news over the radio that the ordinance has turned out be none other than a buried rusted gas canister. We can dig without threat once more.
Sure enough the next signal turns out to be none other than a hammered coin fragment. Now it isn’t in the best of condition but it is certainly a Tudor Half Groat or Sixpence fragment and bearing the Royal shield upon its reverse is from the period of Henry VII - Elizabeth I dating it from 1485 - 1603 AD.
This fragment comes from a very different period to the era we were unearthing on Day 1. The era of the Tudors, a time that began as Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth ending the Wars of the Roses and bringing much-needed peace to the country. The Medieval period was over and Henry, now crowned Henry VII, was keen to convey his power over his new Kingdom and immediately set out changing the currency.
He introduced several high-profile coins into English currency, changed the design to include the Royal Shield on the reverse that is very apparent upon this fragment, and featured a more realistic profile of the reigning monarch moving away from the more abstract image that was typical of Medieval coinage. This change proved revolutionary in terms of English coin design and signalled a shift towards more realistic coin portraiture thereafter.
We seem to have stumbled across a small silver hotspot now as a Henry III Voided Long Cross Half Cut that dates from 1247 - 1279 AD makes an appearance next. This is the next era of coinage to come after the short cross which we discovered on Day 1 and was created as it was a period where the condition of the money circulating in England was probably as bad as it had ever been. A high proportion of the short cross coins were badly worn, but more significantly many were also clipped, an illegal practice where unscrupulous individuals would clip and melt down slivers of metal from around the coins edge and profit by selling the silver. In order to thwart these clippers, it was decided that these new voided long cross coins would carry a design in which the reverse cross would extend to the edge. If any of the four cross-ends were removed, the coin would be deemed illegal.
These coins were also the last, to bear the moneyer’s name, and we’ve managed to work out ours here! Our cut half was minted by Gilbert at the Canterbury Mint. Canterbury was one of the permanent mints in operation at this time and to be able to connect a find back to the name of a person from the past blows our mind every single time.
We’ve also heard wonderful news over the radio that the ordinance has turned out be none other than a buried rusted gas canister. We can dig without threat once more.
It’s slow but rewarding work in this bankside patch as we criss-cross, cutting irregular and unusual shapes of this Tudor and Medieval Zone we seem to have uncovered. Around us some lovely Medieval Buckles and a stunning Jetton that had been turned into a brooch emerges. It’s merely a matter of time before someone stumbles across the next Medieval find. It’s always a good idea keeping an eye on what comes up around you at these events as with so many other detectorists in one spot it can be hard to work out where the hot zones are without all the information or finds that are found by fellow swingers. So of course it’s caught gossiping with two detectorists that the spookiest thing to happen at Detectival occurs.
Lucie just picks up a blinding signal on the Equinox 800 when we get deep into conversation with two fellow detectorists chatting Roman Found and finds and more importantly what finds we would love to find, and for us firmly set into our Medieval zone we couldn’t stop talking about Groats or Half Groats. We have only found two Half Groats in our whole digging lives so far and these beautiful large Medieval coins always catch our eyes.
Our friends move on and we are left alone with the signal. Imagine our disbelief as what we think is a Henry VIII Half Groat emerges in the bottom of the hole. Talk about manifestation. But upon researching this coin we have actually discovered that it’s a lot more exciting than just a Henry VIII Half Groat. It’s actually a much rarer Edward VI Half Groat struck at the Canterbury Mint in 1547 - 1551 AD but under the name and portrait of his father Henry VIII. Only our third ever half groat dug to date and one with an incredible history behind it.
Immediately we wanted to know why such a coinage oddity existed. And a little dig into the history soon revealed all. You see Edward VI was Henry VIII's desperately longed-for male heir from his third wife Jane Seymour, and he was only ten when he ascended to the English throne and very sickly as well, only lasting 6 years before he died young.
Edwards' extreme youth ensured that his reign would not immediately be his own and a regency council of Henry’s most trusted advisors ruled on his behalf. So why put Henry on the coins? Well in his late years Henry confronted the financial difficulties he caused by wars by issuing a very large quantity of debased silver coins, with a low weight and limited silver content. This was a huge problem and one that the council did not want to taint the reputation of the new young king so decided to continue minting the image of Henry for 4 more years whilst the quality of the coinage was restored leaving the blame on the deceased king and preserving Edwards image. Essentially Medieval coin propaganda.
With triple silver added to the finds tin it’s been a very successful day in Field 39 but with late afternoon drawing in it’s time to catch that bumpy tractor back to base camp and sadly pack away the digging palace. Until the next one! It’s been a really good weekend for Roman Found and not just on the finds front. It’s always the best catching up with friends and the amazing team at LP Metal Detecting and our affiliate family. We seemed to pick the right fields and worked hard to eek out those finds. Thank you Autumn Detectival we are looking forward to the next one already!
