Monument record HXN 019 - The Hoxne Hoard

Large late Rom hoard of gold and silver coins, jewellery and small pieces of tableware. Found metal detecting by (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) who lifted some of the objects; the remainder were excavated. Some coins and a few small objects scattered in the ploughsoil but the bulk was in situ within a rectangular area c.57cm by 36cm and 15-20cm deep (S1).
The coins include 565 gold solidi, 14,191 silver (mostly siliquae, many of them clipped, plus 60 light miliarenses and 5 half siliquae) and 24 bronze. The latest coins are two of Constantine III, dated to 407-408. Gold jewellery consists of one `body chain' with a solidus of Gratian (367-383) set on one side and on the other a cabouchon amethyst, four garnets and four empty cells which probably contained pearls, six necklaces, three finger rings with gemstones removed and nineteen bracelets, one of which is very large and one of which has the words "VTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE" worked into its openwork design. The silver plate comprises: 78 spoons (ligulae and cochlearia), 20 ladles, 9 toilet implements (4 comma shaped "toothpicks", a pair of ibis ?toothpicks and 3 ?brushes), 4 small plain bowls and a dish which were stacked together with traces of organic material - ?hay and textile - packing, 2 small decorated vases, 3 small strainers and a strainer/ funnel, 4 pepper pots (one in the form of a late Rom empress, two with Hercules and Antaeus on it) and the detached handle of a large vessel in the form of a tigress. There are inscriptions, including Christian monograms, such as Chi-Rho symbols and personal names, in particular a set of 10 spoons with the name AVRVRSICINI (Aurelius Ursicinus). Fragments of decorated ivory derive from a cylindrical pyxis (box) and numerous bone inlay plates indicate another small casket within the hoard. Two silver padlocks, a small silver hinge, tiny silver angle brackets and sheet silver decorative rosettes also probably derive from small containers. The main hoard container, presumably wooden had iron nails and other fittings along one edge (S2)(S3).
The hoard was declared Treasure Trove in September 1993 and entirely retained by BM. Further coins and fragments found by metal detecting after ploughing. There was also extensive illicit digging including trenching in December 1992 (S1). Resistivity & magnetometer surveys in 1993 showed a single linear feature (S4). A 30m square area around the findspot was excavated in 1994 to establish whether any contemporary features existed and to recover the ploughsoil scatter. Prehistoric (BA), IA and PMed features were located. Adjacent to the hoard was an animal disturbance, wrongly identified as a possible ditch in the original excavation, and a single undated post hole (S5).
Also BA, IA.

Description from record MSF25091:
Portable Antiquities Scheme find provenance information:
Methods of discovery: Metal detector
Location description: site around original hoxne hoard found 1992, appenda to this deposited in BM