Farmer looks for hammer, finds gold and silver in Hoxne, Suffolk

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the discovery of the Hoxne Hoard by Eric Lawes in 1992 while searching for a misplaced hammer. The conversation touches on historical finds, the significance of the Hoxne Hoard, and comparisons to other archaeological discoveries.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Eric Lawes found the Hoxne Hoard, which included a significant amount of Roman coins and gold and silver objects, while searching for a hammer.
  • Some participants find humor in the situation, speculating on what other tools might be found if Lawes continued his search.
  • A historical comparison is made to John Frere's discovery of paleolithic flint tools in Hoxne, suggesting a long history of significant archaeological finds in the area.
  • A reference is made to the Mildenhall Treasure, another Roman hoard discovered by a farmer, highlighting the theme of unexpected discoveries in farming contexts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the remarkable nature of the Hoxne Hoard discovery and its historical significance, but there are no explicit disagreements noted in the discussion.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not delve into the implications of the finds or the methodologies used in their discovery, leaving some aspects of the historical context and archaeological processes unaddressed.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in archaeology, historical discoveries, and the cultural significance of ancient artifacts may find this discussion engaging.

Astronuc
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In 1992, Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes and retired farmer, went looking for a missing/misplaced hammer.
Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/04/16/hoxne-hoard/

Lawes discovered what became known as the Hoxne Hoard, "close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoxne_Hoard
 
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A funny story with a happy ending. I wonder what he'd find if he went looking for his saw.
 
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Think that's remarkable? Almost 200 years earlier, John Frere was the first person in the modern world to conclude that there was an ancient human society which did not have metal tools or weapons after discovering 12 feet below modern ground level, below what appeared to be a sea bed, a cache of paleolithic flint tools in the same village, Hoxne, with population less than 1,000!
 
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