A lunchtime seminar by Dr Ine Jacobs from the University of Oxford. This event is organised by The Baron Thyssen Centre for the Study of Ancient Material Religion at The Open University.

Title:

'Coins lost in puzzling places' in ancient Rome and beyond

Abstract:

Late antique and medieval archaeologists in northwest Europe and Scandinavia have seen a surge in studies on everyday ritual practices, among them deposits intentionally placed underneath door openings, walls and floors of residential and communal structures. By contrast, research of similar deposits in Roman, late antique and Byzantine archaeology elsewhere is much rarer. The appearance of perfectly preserved small finds or coins in said locations is not questioned at all, mostly simply ignored and at best explained as accidental loss. This talk will focus mainly on coins discovered in puzzling places. It will give an overview of explanations put forward in the literature, point out the universality of coin deposition - from public buildings and sanctuaries to humble dwellings - and sketch the wider framework in which such practices should be placed.

This is a free event but spaces are limited, so please book your place via EventBrite.

For more information about the event and organiser, please visit The Baron Thyssen Centre for the Study of Ancient Material Religion website.