Record Details

NHER Number:5395
Type of record:Find Spot
Name:The Hockwold Treasure

Summary

A hoard of seven silver Roman cups and handles discovered in 1962. The cups were found crushed and dismantled, and have been carefully reconstructed by the British Museum where they are on display. One cup is decorated in relief with vine leaves and olives, and two other cups have engraved Bacchic motifs.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TL68NE
Parish:HOCKWOLD CUM WILTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

February 1962. Approximately 1/4 mile southwest of Blackdyke Farm.
Found about 61cm (2ft) deep in peat while cutting section across suspected ancient roadway.
5 dismembered silver wine cups; had had pedestalled bases and handles removed. Some were packed in 2 of the cups which were folded over the contents. Other 3 cups also bent.
Cup A plain, cup E possibly decorated, cups F and H identical with incised decoration of vines and olives. 2 bases with palmeted decoration, 3 plain, 2 pairs of handles, identical and decorated with 'ivy on stone' decoration. 1 pair with dolphins, 1 pair with scrolls, 1 pair plain.
Shown to [1], parallels with Hildesheim, Boscoreale, Berthouville, and Welwyn (Hertfordshire).
Found by Frank Curtis, now in British Museum (Prehistoric and Romano-British Antiquities), NCM () has animal bones and undated sherd.
(S1) by E.B. Green (NCM).

See drawings (S3, S4, S5 and S6) in the Illustration Library.

1981.
Reconstructed by British Museum lab,see (S2).

E. Rose (NAU).

Conservation work revealed that there are seven, not five cups.
E. Rose (NAU) 31 October 1988

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
  • DRINKING VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HOARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: Ashley, H.. NCM CM1204 to CM1209.
---Correspondence: Various. 1962. Letters.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1962. [Articles on The Hockwold Treasure].
---Newspaper Article: The Times. 1962. Roman silver hoard found in wood. 9 February.
---Newspaper Article: Evening Standard. 1962. Roman crinimal's loot found. 9 February.
---Newspaper Article: The Daily Telegraph. 1962. Farmworker finds A.D. 50 Roman cups. 10 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1962. [Articles on The Hockwold Treasure].
---Unpublished Document: Bamford, H.. 1962. The Hockwold Treasure (metal analysis). 14 February.
---Unpublished Document: Clarke, R.R.. 1962. Evidence of R.R. Clarke at H.M. Coroner's Inquest on a hoard of metal objects found at Hockwold, Norfolk. 20 February.
---Article in Serial: Green, E.B.. 1962. The Hockwold Treasure.. Apollo. Vol LXXVI.
---Newspaper Article: 1962. [Photograph of The Hockwold Treasure]. 24 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1981. Hockwold treasure on show - after 20 years. 25 June.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1981. Display after 20 years of Hockwold treasure. 25 June.
---Article in Serial: Johns, C. 1986. The Roman Silver Cups from Hockwold. Archaeologia. Vol 108 (Second Series) pp 1-13. p 2.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Hockwold Cum Wilton [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S2>Photograph: British Museum. PS 112447 to 112454.
<S3>Illustration: Unknown. 1965. Drawings of Roman silver cup decorations.. Card. 1:1.
<S4>Illustration: Unknown. 1965. Drawings of Roman silver cup decorations.. Card. 1:1.
<S5>Illustration: Unknown. 1965. Drawings of Roman silver cup decorations.. Card. 1:1.
<S6>Illustration: Unknown. 1965. Drawings of Roman silver cup decorations.. Card. 1:1.

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