Thousands of years old artifacts in outstanding preservation were discovered in a field. A metal detectorist discovered the Iron Age and Roman-era artifacts, which have been designated as treasure. When Jon Matthews was metal detecting near Llantrisant Fawr, Monmouthshire, in March 2019, he came across these. "True beauty" was his phrase to describe the items.
The ox head bowl handle that was excavated (Image: National Museum Wales)
Some of the Roman artifacts, according to experts, may point to the presence of a nearby settlement that has never been identified. Assistant coroner for Gwent, Rose Farmer, deemed four treasure findings, including an Iron Age vessel trove, a Roman coin hoard, and two silver artifacts from the 17th century, to be valuable finds.
He had no idea what he had discovered at first, but he suspected it might be significant. The artifacts, a Roman jug and a Celtic bucket mount, were carefully dug up and transferred to Amgueddfa Cymru after being reported to the neighborhood find liaison officer. Jon was able to work with the museum's excavation crew a few weeks later.
Bucket mounts found at Llantrisant Fawr (Image: National Museum Wales)
More artifacts were found here, including a bowl with an ox's face decoration that the crew first mistook for a brooch. In his 10 years as a metal detectorist, Jon described finding the bowl as a "surreal" experience and stated, "I've never seen anything like it. I didn't imagine our forefathers were capable of creating something so exquisite. I was rather surprised.
A total of two complete and six fragmentary vessels were found after an investigation by staff from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru) and Amgueddfa Cymru. It has been possible to identify the remains of two wooden tankards, an Iron Age bucket with copper alloy fittings, an Iron Age bowl, cauldron, and strainer, as well as two Roman saucepans made of copper alloy. The vessels appear to have been interred collectively in the second half of the first century AD, around the time of the Roman conquest.
A Roman trulleus handle found at Llantrisant Fawr (Image: National Museum Wales)
Mr. Matthews remarked, "I feel honored to have discovered something so rare that is connected to Wales and our ancestors. We were able to learn a great deal from the artifacts thanks to the combined efforts of the archaeologists with whom I worked on the hoard excavation."
While metal detecting on a ploughed area in Caerwent between 2014 and 2022, Colin Price and Rhys Cadwallader also found a cache of Roman coins. The late third to late fourth centuries AD are when the copper alloy coins were made.
A Roman trulleus found at Llantrisant Fawr (Image: National Museum Wales)
Senior curator at Amgueddfa Cymru Alastair Willis stated: "It is thrilling and important to find two coin hoards in the same area and close to the Roman town of Caerwent. The findings of the geophysical survey conducted imply that the coin hoards were interred at a previously undiscovered village or religious site. This provides insight into rural life near the ancient Roman settlement of Venta Silurum. The findings are crucial for comprehending what was going on in south-east Wales at the end of the Roman era and the beginning of the fifth century AD.
Wooden bucket fittings found at Llantrisant Fawr (Image: National Museum Wales)
"The Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales plays a critical role in safeguarding Welsh heritage," stated Dr. David Howell, PAS Cymru Engagement Officer. PAS Cymru offers a service where finders of archaeological materials can formally report their artefacts. This service is made possible by a network of committed Finds Liaison Officers throughout Wales and assistance from the Welsh Archaeological Trusts. Our knowledge of Welsh archaeology and history has been greatly improved as a result of PAS Cymru's efforts in recording information on thousands of archaeological artefacts. Without PAS Cymru, Wales's citizens would probably never learn about this information. The main PAS online database, https://finds.org.uk, provides access to information about artifacts reported under the scheme today.
A post-medieval silver chape and a post-medieval silver thimble were also declared treasure. Michael Evans found them in September 2021 while metal detecting in a field underneath pasture in Grosmont. Luke Phillips found the thimble in Mathern in November 2020 while metal detecting in a field beneath a tough pasture.
