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The Late Roman Silver Treasure from Traprain Law

Fraser Hunter editor Annemarie Kaufmann-Heinimann editor Kenneth Painter editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:NMSE - Publishing Ltd

Published:21st Jul '22

Should be back in stock very soon

The Late Roman Silver Treasure from Traprain Law cover

Excavated from Traprain Law, East Lothian, Scotland, in May 1919, was one of the most spectacular discoveries of Roman silver ever made in Europe - and the biggest hoard of `hacksilver': 23kg, battered, crushed and chopped up. Blame for the destruction has hitherto been laid at the door of `barbarians' but this study changes that view. An international team of scholars has reviewed the hoard's origins and manufacture, its use as elite tableware, its hacking and later reuse. A century of new discoveries and ideas allow fresh conclusions, especially about the hacking. With wide-ranging parallels from across Europe, the authors argue that hacking was a deliberate Roman policy to create bullion at times of economic crisis, turning valued vessels into weights of silver to be used in frontier politics, to pay off groups from beyond the empire, or hire them as mercenaries.

'Traprain Law is one of Scotland's iconic sites. it has not, however, always been treated as befits its status by archaeologists. This book redresses the balance. It is a sumptuous and thoroughly academic account of the Traprain treasure by the leading authorities in the field. ... ' Archaeology Scotland

ISBN: 9781910682234

Dimensions: 280mm x 220mm x 55mm

Weight: 3286g

780 pages