It is not known who and why these coins, which are in good condition, kept.
In the fourth century AD, who and for what reasons hid 473 Roman coins in a ceramic vessel? It is the mystery without an answer that has been opened as a result of this discovery on the site of ‘Cerro de los Miradores’, in the small municipality of Caracuel de Calatrava (Ciudad Real), with only 200 inhabitants.
This enclave is already mentioned as ‘Carcuvium’ in the Antonine Route, from the 3rd century AD, which listed all the routes of the Roman Empire, within the route from Mérida to Zaragoza and as a crossroads for two important routes: the routes from Toledo to Córdoba and from Mérida to Levante.
A merchant, a wealthy neighbor of ‘Carcuvium’ or perhaps a thief could be the one who kept these coins in a ceramic container about 12 inches high that took nearly 1,700 years to be discovered. The coins, from the end of the 3rd century and the 4th century AD, are well preserved and after their restoration and classification, they can be seen in the Ciudad Real Museum along with the ceramic vessel where they stood for so many centuries.
The discovery of these coins of late antiquity was possible thanks to the archaeological excavations with georadar carried out by the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha and the Municipal Council of Caracuel de Calatrava in the area where ‘Carcuvium’ is said to have been built as a municipality. , Roman village or ‘mansio’, that is, an official stop on a Roman road to stay overnight during a journey.
The coins weigh between five and six grams and according to the archaeologists of this project this low weight is due to the constant devaluations of the coin at the end of the 3rd century and especially in the 4th century AD, in the last phase of the Roman Empire. , moment when this kind of current disappears.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
