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

In summary, in 1992, Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes, a retired farmer, used his metal detector to search for a missing hammer. Instead, he discovered the Hoxne Hoard, a collection of Roman coins, gold objects, and silver spoons. This discovery led to the conclusion that there was an ancient human society without metal tools or weapons. A similar hoard, the Mildenhall Treasure, was also found by a farmer in Britain.
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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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1. What is the significance of the discovery in Hoxne, Suffolk?

The discovery of gold and silver in Hoxne, Suffolk was significant because it was one of the largest and most important hoards of Roman treasure ever found in Britain. It provided valuable insight into the lives and culture of the Roman Empire in Britain during the 4th and 5th centuries.

2. How did the farmer come across the treasure?

The farmer, Peter Whatling, was using a metal detector to search for a hammer he had lost in his field. He stumbled upon a silver object, which turned out to be part of the hoard of gold and silver coins and jewelry.

3. What was the estimated value of the treasure?

The estimated value of the treasure was around £1.75 million. However, the true historical and cultural value of the hoard far outweighs its monetary worth.

4. What types of items were found in the hoard?

The hoard included over 15,000 coins, as well as silver and gold jewelry, silver tableware and other decorative objects. The coins were mainly Roman, but also included some from the Byzantine Empire and the Roman province of Gaul.

5. What happened to the hoard after it was discovered?

The hoard was declared a treasure trove and was acquired by the British Museum in London. It has been on display there since 1994 and has been studied extensively by archaeologists and historians.

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