Excavations at Roman Corbridge: the Hoard

With contributions by C. Daniels, J. Watson and J. P. Wild. Ebook (PDF) published 2013. During the examination of a sequence of timber forts underlying the third century military base at the Roman site of Corbridge, the remains of an iron-bound wooden chest was uncovered. Although much of the wood and other organic remains had rotted away, the contents, a remarkable hoard of metalwork and other finds, are described in this book. The finds, catalogued and illustrated in detail, include portions of at least six segmental cuirasses ('lorica segmentata'), spearheads, ballista bolts, and a scabbard. Other less military finds included a pulley block, pickaxe, saws, shears, as well as wooden objects such as cylindrical box and a tankard. The chest may have therefore contained an armourer's hoard of scrap metal and other useful items - many of them already damaged - buried possibly on the abandonment of the fort between AD 122 and 138.